Hittin' the Highway
by gneebee
Summary: He's on his dream trip, heading to Sturgis for the big motorcycle rally. How could he know when he stopped in that small western town along the way it was going to change his life forever. Daryl and Beth / Bethyl AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N A new adventure for Daryl Dixon, he's going on a road trip, will he find love on the way? This first chapter will set the scene, then things are going to move along at a quick pace. x  
**

Daryl had been working at the shop since he was 13 years old.

He was a kid heading fast down a bad road when Dale Horvath caught him siphoning gas out of his work trucks one evening.

He'd gotten Daryl by the shirt collar and demanded to know exactly what he thought he was doing.

Daryl had finally admitted he was going to sell the gas to get enough money for a burger and fries at the diner, maybe even a coke.

"Well if you were hungry you should have come to me and asked if I had any work you could do. I always need a little extra help around the shop. It's better to earn your money honestly son, you'll feel better about yourself."

And that's when it began, him working every day after school for Dale, sweeping, cleaning the bathroom, and emptying trash, all the menial jobs. But after he'd proved himself, worked there a year without screwing up, Dale had made him an apprentice carpenter.

It turned out Daryl had a natural talent for woodwork. He was precise and creative. Dale told him he had "a feel for wood."

Still, Dale told him he wouldn't keep him on if he didn't get his young butt to school and maintain his grades. He was always preaching about the importance of getting an education, of taking responsibility for yourself and your actions, of having respect for yourself and others.

Dale was the father that Daryl didn't have. Daryl's real father was a drunken, abusive asshole who took great pleasure in causing pain.

When he was 15 and he showed up at the shop with a battered face and two black eyes, Dale let him start staying there. There was a small room in the back that he'd been using for storage, he cleaned it out, moved in a twin size bed, a small bar size refrigerator, and a hot plate.

Every couple of days Daryl would walk over to the big truck stop and pay a couple of bucks to take a hot shower. It wasn't the best of circumstances, but it beat the hell out of staying with his no good father.

By the time he was 18 and graduating from High School Dale told Daryl he was a true master craftsman. "You've got incredible talent son, you were born to do this work. I've been at it for 35 years and you got me beat by a mile. There's something I want to discuss with you."

Dale told him he and his wife Erma would like to retire in two to three years. They had a small motorhome and they wanted to see as much of America as they could before they were too old. He was looking to sell his business.

Daryl's heart sank. He loved working at Dale's, he liked his life there. He loved the work. He could think of no better feeling than to pick up a piece of wood and turn it into a piece of art.

Then Dale surprised him by asking, "Why don't you buy the business Daryl? You'll be working full time now that you're out of school. We're not selling for two or three years; you live about as modestly as a human can. Think about it, save your money, I'll work something out with you."

Daryl did have money saved, but he would need a lot more. He never thought he'd really be able to take Dale up on his offer, but he was gonna try his hardest.

He saved nearly every penny he earned. He lived on Ramen noodles, hot dogs and Spam, except when Dale insisted he come to the house and have dinner with him and Erma.

His clothes were getting threadbare, and Lord knows he needed a haircut, but he was determined, if there was a way, he was going to do it.

When he was 19 Dale told him, "Son, if you're going to take over the business, you're going to have to learn the business side of it. That means you're going to have to deal with the customers, bid jobs, purchase the raw materials from vendors, learn about bookkeeping. You don't have to do it all yourself, but you need to have a good understanding of it all. It's a way of protecting yourself and ensuring your success. Tomorrow we're going to start, you're coming with me to bid three jobs. I want you to take off an hour early today and go get a new set of clothes. Doesn't have to be fancy, just some clean Levis and a Dickie's work shirt would do fine. But don't rip the sleeves off the shirt. And either tonight or tomorrow morning get over to the truck stop and get a shower."

"Okay." Daryl was petrified. He didn't interact with people. The only people he ever talked to were the guys at the shop, and only when they asked him a question, or he needed to ask them one, it was always just work stuff. Oh there was his brother Merle, but Merle had been in the state pen for the past five years. Daryl took the bus to see him once a month, but that was different, that was Merle, he did most of the talking.

So he walked to the farm store, got the jeans, got the shirt and even bought a new pair of underwear and a new pair of socks. He took them back to the shop, picked up his shower kit and walked over to the truck stop.

In the morning Dale told him not to worry, he'd be doing the talking, Daryl should listen close and pay attention to how it's done. "Now listen to me son, you can't be looking down. I know you're uncomfortable around people, but you have to hide that. People want you looking at them when you're talking to them. A good trick is to stare at the bridge of their nose. They'll think you're looking them in the eye. And no grunting, nodding and shrugging your shoulders Daryl. You have to speak clearly. And don't hesitate to say a lot of 'Yes Mams, and No sirs.' Folks like to feel like you respect them."

And Daryl looked down and said, "K."

Dale suppressed a laugh and said, "No Daryl, look me in the eye and say, 'Okay Dale, I understand,' see how that comes out."

"Okay Dale, I understand."

"See son? Not so bad. You're going to do fine. You just need to build up your confidence some."

Daryl wished he believed in himself as much as Dale seemed to.

The first job was for new kitchen cabinets. Dale was talking to the potential client, but Daryl was focusing on the existing cabinets and the way the kitchen could be redesigned to make it more functional and much more attractive.

Dale didn't miss the way the young man was taking it all in, so he put it to him, "Do you have some ideas for Mrs. Johnson, Daryl?"

Daryl swallowed hard and replied, "Yes 'm I got an idea in mind, could be much better for ya."

Dale took over, "I'll tell you what Mrs. Johnson, how about Daryl and I go back to the shop and I have him sketch out a couple of designs for you, we'll price those out, and of course we'll include pricing for your design. We can bring that by in the morning, we just need to get some quick measurements."

"That sounds wonderful, thank you both," the woman responded.

A similar thing happened at the second house where the owner wanted an entertainment center built in his living room.

And again, at house number three, where the owner wanted new cabinets in two bathrooms and a closet redesign in the master bedroom.

When they got back to the shop Dale told the young man, "Daryl I was impressed with you today, you did real good son. Now you get busy on those drawings and then I'll show you how we figure out the pricing, alright?"

"Yeah Dale, thanks," he made every effort to look right in the older man's eyes.

"No, thank _you_ son, I'll tell you what, I'll run over to the diner and pick you up a couple of cheeseburgers and a coke."

Daryl was a natural artist and he was able to successfully put his vision for these projects on paper. He quickly sketched out his ideas, and also sketched the client's original ideas so they could make the comparison.

Once the drawings were complete Dale showed him how pricing is figured depending on type, and amount of lumber, as well as all of the other materials used, coupled with design features, such as glass doors and roll-outs, and labor involved in both fabrication and installation.

Daryl caught on quickly, finding he didn't dislike this part of the job like he'd thought he would.

The following day when the ideas were presented to the clients it was as though Daryl was a different person. When he talked about the work and what it could look like he was articulate and expressive.

The shop was awarded the work by all three clients, and all chose Daryl's designs over their original plans.

After that, Dale took Daryl with him for all jobs the small company bid.

When he was 21 Dale and Erma decided it was time to sell and take the trip they'd waited to take for 40 years.

Dale told Daryl he wanted $80,000.00 for the business, which included all equipment and inventory.

In the three years since Dale had told him he was going to sell, Daryl had managed to squirrel away $50,000.00.

Dale told him he thought he'd be able to pay the remaining $30,000.00 off in $10k per year increments.

Daryl agreed. He planned to continue living at the shop and saving every cent he could, not just to pay off the remaining balance for the business, but he had other plans as well.

He'd like to own some ground in the close-by woods and have his own cabin, he'd also like to own a nice motorcycle. To him, both of those things symbolized freedom, and the feeling of freedom was a feeling Daryl would like to have.

Two months after Dale and Erma officially retired Erma was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She never got to take that dream trip with Dale.

What Daryl learned from that was, you can't keep putting off your dreams. Sometimes you just have to take a chance and go for it.

That was when he bought that 10 acre undeveloped parcel. It was treed, there was a small creek that ran on the back end of the property, clear and cold, and although it was secluded, it was still close in to work.

He slowly began to improve the property. He rented equipment and cut in a road. He had a well and a septic system dug. He paid the power company to run power from the road to the property.

When he was 25 the business had been paid off for a year and Daryl was ready to start building. That was also the year Merle was released from prison.

Merle was a changed man. He'd done hard time but somehow it had mellowed him. He wanted to stay on the straight and narrow, wanted to have a life, wanted to be a brother to Daryl like when they were kids.

Merle was the only family Daryl had left and he didn't want to lose him again. So he moved him in the shop with him, put him to work.

Merle quickly caught on to the demo and installation end of the carpentry business. He wasn't afraid of hard work and maybe the most important thing, he was on a mission to prove to Daryl that he really had changed.

Daryl began to build his cabin, working on it evenings and weekends. Merle helped in every way he could, and the brothers working side by side brought them to a new closeness.

When Daryl was 28 his home in the woods was completed and furnished. There were two bedrooms, a great room, a true chef's kitchen, a small office, two bathrooms and a mud room. There was a large front deck and an even larger back deck. It goes without saying, the woodwork was stellar.

Merle had gotten himself a little place in town, close to the shop. It was the first real place he'd ever had, not a flop house, not a crap shack with the old man, not a cheap motel and not the joint. He was proud of the little two bedroom clapboard house and it showed in the way he cared for the house and yard, neat as a pin.

The other thing Daryl did at 28 was buy a Triumph motorcycle like he'd wanted to do for as long as he could remember. He had it tricked out just the way he wanted it. He planned to eventually take a long road trip.

Where was he going? Well he didn't have a plan to ever leave Georgia for good. He had a very successful business, a home in a spot he loved, and his brother back. But he'd like to see a little bit of the country and he'd heard for years about the big Sturgis Motorcycle Rally held every summer in South Dakota.

He thought why not? Why not enjoy it while he was young. He'd get any wanderlust out of his system, and maybe, just maybe when he got back to Georgia he'd be lucky enough to meet a nice woman. He'd never had a real relationship with anyone, he was awkward around women, but he had thought it might be nice to have a woman.

When he was 29 Dale showed up at the shop in his motorhome and praised Daryl's success and the way he'd built up the business. He also told him, again, "Son, enjoy your work, but don't put off your dreams. Life is short, you have to take the time to enjoy every bit of it."

He did spend his evenings and weekends doing the things he loved, hunting, camping, fishing and just riding around on his bike. And he continued to plan in his head, and on paper, the trip he would take.

All in all, life was real good for Daryl Dixon.

Merle had started keeping company with a woman in his neighborhood, Carol. She was a widow, close to Merle's age, with a 12 year old daughter. Merle said they weren't getting too serious too fast, mostly just taking a little "comfort" in one another. Nice euphemism, but Daryl didn't judge.

When he was 32 he started getting all of his ducks in a row. He was planning on hitting the highway the following summer and there was a lot of planning regarding how the business would operate in his absence.

He planned to be gone four weeks. He wasn't just going to head straight to Sturgis. If he was going that far he was going to make it a real trip. He wanted to see Pike's Peak in Colorado, he wanted to head up through Wyoming, see Flaming Gorge, and go to Yellowstone, see a Rodeo and go to the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, see Devil's Tower then head into South Dakota. His first stop in South Dakota would be Deadwood and then he'd spend the full six days at the Rally. After the Rally he'd check out Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands, and then on home.

It was gonna be one hell of a trip and he couldn't wait, the trip of a lifetime. Oh he'd like to have a travel companion, but maybe it was better this way. No one else to worry about, just make himself happy, that would be better, much more fun. That's what he told himself, and that's what he wanted to believe.

He and Merle worked together figuring out how Daryl could manage to stay away from the business for four weeks.

He had four top notch employees in addition to Merle, there was Oscar, Axel, and Caesar in the shop, and Jacqui who ran the front office.

Daryl had built a reputation as one of the most creative craftsmen in the region. He had regular clients, mostly custom home builders and commercial contractors, and Daryl spoke with all of them individually four months ahead of the trip. He told them when he'd be gone, that the shop would not cease production or installations, but there would be no new bids and no new design work while he was gone, so get your jobs in early.

Jacqui called all potential clients they'd already bid jobs for and let them know the schedule, just in case they wanted to get it done before he left, and they all did.

From that point forward Daryl made it clear to everyone they bid a job for when he'd be gone, so if you'd like him to get your plans done so his crew could be working on your job while he was gone, that needed to happen soon.

Daryl felt he was as ready as he was ever going to be. He was going to do this, and he was going to do it right.

He'd rigged the bike with saddlebags and a sissy bar bag. He'd get everything he needed in those, and have plenty of room for anything extra he might pick up along the way. He had clothing for any kind of weather he may encounter, after all he'd be traveling through country where there were regular afternoon thundershowers, he also had a bedroll and a small tarp if he decided to sleep outside. Last and most important, he had his tools.

Before he left on his journey he and Merle spent that last weekend hunting and camping in the woods.

He was as ready as he'd ever be, he and Merle locked arms and Merle told him, "Ya be real careful out there Little Brother, ya get in any kinda trouble ya call me I'ma be there in a heartbeat."

Daryl nodded and said, "Gonna miss yer sorry ass Merle, but I'll see ya soon enough."

And he was off.

 **A/N I hope you enjoyed it. Daryl has set off on his adventure, maybe he'll meet a pretty little blond on his way. Thank you for reading, please review xo**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Wow! You guys surprised me in a real nice way. Thanks so much for the faves, follows and reviews. Daryl's on his way and I think things are going to get interesting.**

He headed north out of Georgia into Tennessee. It dawned on him as he crossed the state line; this was the first time he'd ever been out of Georgia. Wow.

Straight North and off West would have been the most direct route, but he was sticking with his plan to see some things along the way.

So he went through the western edge of Kentucky and cut across to Missouri. He spent a day meandering through Mark Twain National Forest on his bike, before continuing west toward Kansas.

He'd stop when he felt like it, take in the sights, eat a meal, sleep a few hours. He had plenty of time, and he liked that feeling of being able to just spend his time doing whatever appealed to him at the moment.

There was more than once he thought back to the days before Merle got popped, back before Dale and the shop, when he'd just follow Merle around doin' whatever Merle said they were gonna be doin'. Merle might have been a redneck asshole, but he was also the only person Daryl could ever count on, well until the law caught up with him. He kind of wished Merle was with him now, but he tried not to dwell on it.

Once he crossed the border out of Kansas and into Colorado he made his way to Colorado Springs. The front range of the Rocky Mountains. He planned to stay in Colorado Springs for a couple days, see Pike's Peak National forest, and then head up to the summit of the 14,000 ft mountain.

He could take the bike up, he could take the Cog Railway, or if he were more inclined, which he wasn't at all, he could hike it.

Daryl had never been on any kind of train, and he was gonna be riding that bike all over these western mountains, so he decided on the railway. He wasn't so shy around people like he once was, and it might be kinda nice to share the experience with others.

He met a nice group of friendly seniors on the train and ended up having more fun than he'd thought he would.

Thing was, he wished he'd a seen it on his bike. So when he got back off the train he got on his bike and went up to that summit again. He smiled to himself as he rode. He kind of liked this impulsive side he didn't even know he had.

He headed north from Colorado Springs through Denver and Fort Collins and crossed the border into Wyoming at Laramie.

He visited the old territorial prison in Laramie and took a picture of it with his phone. He texted it to Merle with a snarky comment, "I found ya a new house." Merle texted back, "Fuck you Little Brother." Daryl just grinned, he missed that banter with his brother.

From Laramie he continued west on I-80 and stopped for the night in Rock Springs, Wyoming. He planned to spend most of the next day seeing this Flaming Gorge area he heard so much about from one of his clients.

The further west he'd traveled the more bikes he saw and he was pretty sure most were doin' the same thing he was, touring around a little before heading to Sturgis for the rally.

He also noticed that a lot of folks were taking it a little bit easier, trailering their bikes behind fancy pick-ups or SUVs. He supposed there was no crime in that, but for him, one thing he'd most looked forward to was riding around the country on a motorcycle. Except for feeling kind of lonely, he was enjoying every minute of it.

Flaming Gorge was a beautiful sight, not unlike the Grand Canyon but with more water, he supposed. Well, maybe one day he'd go there and see how they compared. And the number of Antelope he saw was unbelievable, he hadn't known there were so many antelope in Wyoming.

He'd gotten an early start, hell the sun came up early and went down late in Wyoming in the summer. So after he had some lunch he had a decision to make, go on ahead up to Pinedale, a small town of about 2000 on his way to Yellowstone, or spend another night in Rock Springs. He figured what the hell? It's only about 90 miles away, just up Highway 191.

He checked in a little motel off the town's main drag and decided he'd earned a beer. He'd heard through the grapevine, and even saw in a couple of biker magazines, about a biker friendly joint right on the main drag.

Even though it was just four blocks away he'd decided to take the bike. There were four other bikes parked out front so he was sure he was in the right place. It had what looked like big tree trunks for bar stools, a pool table and…and oh shit, he saw her, he nearly froze in his tracks. A real pretty blond was working behind the bar. She had a million dollar smile, great big blue eyes, and some wild and beautiful curly blond hair. Her hair was in some kind of cockeyed ponytail and it seemed like quite a lot of it had a mind of it's own and just wouldn't stay where it was supposed to. She had a real fresh-faced kind of look about her, not a lot of make-up, kind of "outdoorsy."

She was wearing tight jeans rolled up to just below her knees, a western style belt, a tank top kind of shirt, and well worn cowboy boots.

He walked right up and sat down on one of those tree stools and she asked, sweet as could be, "Hey cowboy, what's your poison?"

He looked right in those beautiful eyes and asked, "What's on tap?"

"Well for you, I'd pick Bud, how does that sound?" That smile never let up.

She was thinking OMG where did this guy come from? So good looking! He had on a button-up black shirt, but he must have torn the sleeves off of it, and geez the arms on this guy, black jeans, and a black leather cut. Holy Mole!

"That sounds just right," he found himself smiling back. Damn, he was thinking, if she would have offered me a glass a milk I'da drank it.

She kept thinking she was staring at him and ought to quit, but she just couldn't help herself and darn, he seemed to be staring back at her.

"So call me a genius, I'm guessing by the bike you're on your way to Sturgis, right?" She just knew she sounded like an idiot, but she wanted to talk with him.

"Yep, you're right again. So now ya know what I'm drinkin', ya know where I'm goin', what else ya got figured out 'bout me?" He didn't know what the hell to say to this woman, but he knew he wanted to keep talking to her.

"Well now, everything you just said? That made it very clear, you're not from Wyoming, not with that accent," she had a teasing tone to her voice.

"Well dang, ya got me again, yeah I ain't from Wyomin', I'm from a ways south and east a Wyomin', a small town outside of Atlanta," He'd tell her any damn thing she wanted to know.

"Oh wow, you've come a long way, but why did you come up through Pinedale? It isn't exactly on the way from Atlanta to Sturgis," She was wondering if he had a girlfriend, and she wanted to slap herself.

"That's a fact, but I wanted ta see some other sights on my way. I'ma head ta Yellowstone from here," He took a small sip from the beer, he was gonna make it last.

"It seems that a lot of people like to go through The Park on their way to Sturgis, it is pretty spectacular. I haven't been in a few years, we used to go every year when we were kids," and then she looked a him and said, "Sorry, if I'm talking too much, maybe you want to be left alone to drink your beer in peace."

"S'okay, I's enjoyin' listenin' to ya," he didn't want her to quit.

She had to wait on a few other people but she soon came back over and stood in front of him and smiled, not really knowing what more she could say to him.

But he smiled back and asked her, "There a good place around here for a guy ta get a steak?"

"There's a terrific place about 15 miles outside of town, its way off the beaten path. It's an old fort, very cool, they cook the steaks outside over a wood fire and it's real Wyoming beef, range fed, no hormones, no antibiotics," she made a little nod of her head like she was emphasizing all of that.

"Sounds like yer workin' for 'em," He smiled, just teasing her a little. He almost wanted to take it back.

But she laughed and said, "My Dad, my brother, and my uncles, are all cattle ranchers."

"S'at right, well how would a hungry guy find this place? Or better yet, when do ya get off work? Maybe you could show me the way and I'd be happy ta buy ya dinner." He couldn't even fucking believe he'd just invited this woman to dinner. He'd never done anything like that in his life. But there was something about her, he just knew he had to spend time with her. And he remembered Dale telling him life was short.

She thought about it for all of five seconds before she said, "Well for starters, I'd probably want to know your name, I'm Beth Greene by the way, and then I'd tell you I'm off work in half hour and I'm hungry as a bear."

He couldn't help it, he laughed, "Well Beth Greene, it's very nice ta meet ya, name's Daryl Dixon and I'm lookin' forward ta takin' ya wherever ya wanna go have dinner. Wouldn't be right for me ta let ya go hungry"

"Let me just finish up here and we can head," He liked that western accent of hers. Well, he liked it on her.

He just took small sips of the beer and waited until she announced she was off work.

When he stood he was much taller than she'd thought, and he walked with a kind of pigeon-toed swagger. And that cut? Who knew it would have angel wings on the back?! Oh my, my, he was a hot one, and the best part was, he didn't even seem to realize it.

He had one helmet and he offered it to her. "We're in Wyoming Daryl Dixon, we don't need to wear helmets. I'll just take my chances so you be careful," and when she smiled at him that way he knew he would never risk harming a hair on her head.

And he supposed he was an idiot because he asked, "Have you been on a motorcycle before?"

She had a funny look on her face and he thought maybe she might be mad, but then she said, "Daryl, I'm a Wyoming ranch girl, I've ridden a sheep, a pig, a cow, a mule, a horse, a 4-wheeler, a snow machine, and a wave runner, I can drive a boat, snowcat, a tractor, or just about any old ranch rig you can come up with. But for some reason I have never been on a motorcycle and I can't wait!"

"Yer crazy girl, but damn, I sure woulda like ta see ya ride that pig. Let's go, ya just gotta point me there," he got on the bike, and she got on behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and there wasn't anything about that he didn't like.

She wasn't kidding about the road, it was barely cut in, dry and dusty, there were some lodgepole pine and some aspen trees, along with a lot of sage and some kind of berry vines, rocks were poking out of the ground, and damn, it was beautiful in a weird kind of western way – like it couldn't decide if it was the mountains or the desert.

He had to smile when he saw this "fort." It was an old log structure that had obviously been renovated. He also saw the creek, the trees, the wild rose bushes, and the big ol' barbeque going with the wood smoke billowing out and he thought, this is living.

She got off the bike and said, "Wow my legs feel like I've been riding my horse Nellie," and she giggled.

"Well it's an iron horse," he smiled. "Ya think you could get use ta ridin' around on it?" What was he asking her? He didn't even know.

But she answered him, "Easy."

And they both smiled.

They made their way inside, and of course she knew the lady there, "Hi Kathy, can you seat two?"

"I sure can Beth, follow me," and she led them to a small table by the window overlooking that creek.

"This is real nice Beth, I thank ya for bringin' me out here. Now ya gotta help me pick out what I'ma eat," he was staring at the list of steaks like it was written in Greek.

And when she looked at him, she knew there was no way she didn't want to be sitting here with this man right now.

"Well if you're going to eat like a cowboy, you're going to have to have a rib eye steak, rare," and she smiled, but damn, those eyes of hers were practically boring into him.

"Sounds fine ta me. Now Beth Greene, what's yer story? I'd like ta know a little about you," he couldn't believe himself, he'd learned to talk to people for his business but it still never felt quite comfortable, and he was usually so awkward around women, but with her it just seemed to come natural.

"Not too much to tell really. I grew up on a ranch just outside of town here, worked hard and had loads of fun. After high school I stayed on the ranch with my folks, but I also worked in the office of an insurance agent in town. Then the energy boom hit big. I got a great job working out in the oil field, not on a rig, but in the onsite office, you know, secretarial stuff, and with the energy boom the pay was great. Everyone was making lots of money. I moved off the ranch and rented a little place in town, I felt like I finally grew up, and then came the bust, it seemed like overnight, the boom moved to North Dakota and I was out of a job. I've got three days left on the rent at my place, and then I really have no choice, I'll have to move back to Mom and Dad's ranch. I haven't had a bit of luck getting any kind of job in town, I'm just filling in at the bar for a friend once in a while. I need to get my life figured out I guess. I never really worried too much before, but geez, I'm 23 years old, it might be time to start thinking," and then she laughed and said, "Oh I'm so sorry Daryl, there I go again, on and on and on."

And he felt like he could listen to her go 'on and on and on' forever, "Well that's rough, I heard the energy business is pretty much a boom and bust deal."

The waitress came for their order, he just nodded toward Beth and said, "She's gonna do the orderin'."

She laughed and said, "Fine. Daryl's going to have the cowboy cut rib eye rare, I'll have the cowgirl cut also rare. We'll each have a house salad for starters, and we'll share the big stuffed baked potato with our steaks, bring plenty of bread and butter please. And I suppose we could each drink a glass of cab." She smiled at him when she added that.

"So, I took care of the hard part Daryl Dixon, all you have to do is pay, oh and just so you know, the cowboy steak is twice as big as the cowgirl steak and I'm going to get a big kick out of watching you eat it all." And she started laughing, but then her cheeks turned bright pink and she quickly said, "I'm sorry, sometimes I can be such a smartass, or just an ass."

What could he do? He just smiled and said, "You really are a little crazy, aren't ya?"

"Maybe a little, but don't hold it against me, okay? So tell me Mr. Dixon, what's your story? Tell me a little something about your life," she looked right in his eyes.

He wasn't sure what it was. Yeah, she was pretty, prettiest girl he'd ever seen, but it was more than that, she just made him feel happy. And so he did tell her. He didn't tell her about his nasty early life, he didn't tell her about having to live at the shop to stay clear of his abusive father. He just told her about growing up in the business and eventually buying it, about his love of carpentry, about his place in the woods, and how long it had been a dream of his to take this trip. He told her where he'd been and where he planned to go on the remainder of his trip to Sturgis, and back home.

The food came, and then she said, "Gosh, that sounds like a dream trip Daryl, I love Yellowstone, and I've seen Devil's Tower, but I was a little kid. I sure would love to see all the places you're going to see, Deadwood, Sturgis, Rapid City and Mt. Rushmore, and gosh The Badlands. It all seems so fun. I'm jealous."

She put a big piece of steak in her mouth, the woman was no dainty eater, "So jealous."

And he had no fucking idea what came over him, or what he was thinking, but plain as day he asked her, "Why don't ya come with me?"

And she felt a little shocked, but she also felt excited, and it took her all of 10 seconds staring in his eyes to say, "Okay, when do we leave?"

 **A/N Wow, they moved fast, next chapter let's see exactly how they plan to work this out. Check my tumblr - same name as here - for photos of the scenery on their journey. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. xo**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Thank you so much for the great response to this story, you're the best! Lots happening with Beth and Daryl this chapter, so let's get to it!**  
 **FYI - The Top Hand =** **a cowboy who is superior especially as a rider or horsebreaker.**

They decided they'd best go back to her place and see if they could really make this work.

She wasn't kidding when she said the place was small, it wasn't much bigger than the room he'd lived in at the shop, except for having a bathroom and a tiny kitchen area.

She poured them each a glass of wine, handed his to him and said, "I just feel like I ought to clear the air about something. I mean, here I am agreeing to go on a road trip with you, I'm honestly excited to go with you, and I can't deny that I'm real attracted to you. But, well you know, I hope you're not expecting anything, you know, sexual right away, because I'm just not that kind of girl, I mean, if that's what you're looking for." Her face was bright red and he thought she was adorable.

"Well Beth Greene, I feel like I should clear the air with you 'bout sumthin'. I mean here I am offerin' ta take ya with me on a road trip, I'm honestly excited yer gonna go, and I can't deny I'm real attracted to ya. But well, ya know, I hope ya ain't expectin' anythin', you know, sexual right away, cuz I ain't that kinda guy, I mean if that's what yer lookin' for." And he smiled.

She was trying to look pissed, "You're a jackass Daryl Dixon, but that was funny." And she laughed right along with him.

He gave her a quick hug and said, "I'd never just assume sumthin' like that about ya Beth."

She just smiled back at him.

She asked if it would be okay if they left day after tomorrow. She needed to take her truck and her things to the ranch. And she promised them over at the brew pub she'd sing a couple of sets tomorrow night. He said yep that was one of the best things about this trip, no tight scheduling.

"But Beth, is yer Daddy gonna shoot me when ya tell him," he wasn't kidding, he really was concerned about how her folks would react.

"No Daryl, I promise he won't. Dad will be most angry about me leaving right when haying starts, but he has plenty of good ranch hands to help him out," She didn't seem a bit worried, but he figured he was worried enough for both of them.

She had a good black leather backpack and he told her he had some room in his saddle bags. She didn't have too much stuff she told him, wanted to know what kind of clothes to bring.

"Well one thing is, if ya got a bedroll, it wouldn't be a bad idea ta take it. As far as yer clothes, hard ta say what a woman needs, for me, I mostly got two a everythin', two pair a pants, two shirts, couple pair a socks, a warm jacket, a rain jacket and a watch cap. He shrugged.

And she thought she was being pretty funny when she said, "What about underwear, how many of those did you bring?"

"Don't wear 'em," he answered without thinking first, and they both turned red.

She changed the subject, "Daryl, will you make a little promise to me, because this is the craziest thing I've ever done, and even though I'm so excited, I'm also nervous about a couple of things."

"What's that Beth? What's the promise," he had no idea, but he felt like he'd promise her just about anything.

"Well, if you get sick of having me around, or you meet someone else, or whatever, please don't leave me stranded somewhere, or just disappear, okay?" and he could tell she was uneasy.

"First off, I'd bet all my money, my business and my stuff that I'm not gonna meet anyone else I'd rather take. I ain't no ladies man, can't even remember the last time I took a woman out. Second, I would never, ever put ya in any kinda danger by just leavin' ya somewhere or ditchin' ya. And as far as gettin' sick of ya, yer probably gonna get sick a me first, so just let me know when that happens and we'll make arrangements. Anyway, ya ain't gotta worry, I ain't that guy Beth. I got every intention a takin' care of ya and watchin' out for ya. You can trust me," and he gave her a shy smile and slight nod of the head.

She smiled back, and said, "Thanks Daryl, and I do feel like I can trust you."

They talked until around three in the morning when they both must've fallen asleep on the small sofa. He woke up to the feel of her head on his shoulder, she was sound asleep, and he thought to himself, "Thank God, I thought I dreamed all that."

xxxx

She didn't have to perform until 7:30 that evening, so first thing they did was pack-up the bike with the things she'd be taking on the road trip.

She'd decided on four pair of pants, two being shorts, knowing it would be hot in Sturgis, and heck, they didn't take up much room. She had four shirts, three pair of socks, flip flops, a jacket with a water proof outer shell, a bathing suit and five pair of underwear, because she did wear them. Her things weren't quite as big and bulky as his so they took less room. She planned on adding her small toiletry bag, along with sunscreen and bug repellent, to her backpack just before they left.

"I'm so excited Daryl, I wish we could go now," she smiled that great big smile at him.

"Well, don't ya have some things ya gotta store somewhere? Maybe we oughta take care a that 'fore ya run off," he smiled.

It amazed him how easy she was to talk to, no drama, no bullshit, joking yeah, and she could be a little smartass, but always in a sweet way and she called herself out on it before he could. And he could tell that even though most of the time she talked like she was full of confidence, she was pretty shy, just a small town girl.

He was getting all wrapped up in this woman and he knew that could be tough on him. After all, in three weeks he'd be headed back to Georgia and she'd be heading back here.

She couldn't get over how different he was than most of the guys she knew. He didn't act like he thought he was hot, he acted interested in her, her feelings and opinions, and he was thoughtful and polite. She could also tell that at core of him, he was really shy. That must be why he said he hadn't gone out with anyone in a long time, because really? She didn't have one girlfriend who wouldn't have jumped at the chance to go out with this guy.

She knew she was falling for him, and it scared her because, dang, in three weeks he'd be on his way back to Georgia and she'd be on a bus to her parents' place.

Both of them were determined to make whatever time they had together a good time.

xxxx

What she wasn't taking with her on the road trip, they put in the back of her old Dodge truck. She'd spent an hour on the phone with her Mama that morning, and when she'd hung up she promised him it was all going to be just fine. Shit, he hoped so.

He didn't know why he blurted it out, but he did, "So why ain't ya all hooked up with some local guy?" He was curious why someone so pretty didn't have a husband or boyfriend.

"I've never been in love with anyone. Oh I dated a few guys, but never cared to get serious with any of them," she shrugged.

"And how about you Daryl, how come you're not married or whatever?" She might as well ask what she most wanted to know, he started it.

"Ha, I ain't ever had a girlfriend. Guess I never found the time, or someone I wanted ta ask out," and she saw how nervous he was.

"Well I guess we're birds of a feather Daryl Dixon, it's a good thing we found each other," and as soon as the words were out of her mouth all she could think was, holy crap, he's going to make a run for it now!

But he just smiled and said, "Yep, good thing."

He followed her to the ranch and he was pretty much a bundle of nerves, he was sure her Daddy, or maybe even her Mama, was going to kill him

They pulled in a driveway that seemed to be a mile long. He saw a large log home in the distance. It was old and a little weather-worn, but it was a beautiful structure. There was hay growing as far as the eye could see. A huge barn, a shop building and a horse corral were not far from the house. There was a fuel tank, a propane tank, and a greenhouse. He was in awe.

When she stopped the truck he stopped behind her. An attractive woman who looked to be in her late 40s came out of the house, made a beeline for Beth and hugged her tightly, "Oh my crazy little Bethie, now what are you up to?" The woman didn't sound pissed, she sounded resigned.

"I told you Mom, we're going to be really safe, it's just a little road trip, a chance for me to see more of our area before I settle in and figure out what I'm doing with my life," Beth hugged her Mama again.

That's when Daryl stepped forward with his hand outstretched, "Hey Ms. Greene, name's Daryl Dixon, pleased ta meet ya."

"Well Daryl Dixon, my husband's inside in his office, I think he has a question, or 50, for you, so follow me, and good luck," Said Mama, and Daryl was thinking, yep, this is where Beth gets it.

His stomach was a little knotted up when she opened the office door and sent him in. Beth's Daddy was an older gentleman, obviously quite a bit older than her Mama. He stood slowly and walked around his desk. Beth had told him her Daddy had part of his leg amputated after a tractor accident and he was on crutches. Daryl held a hand out to the man and said, "Daryl Dixon sir, pleased ta meet ya."

"Oh I'm sure you wish you were just about anywhere but here son, but I do admire your style. Have a seat, you and I are going to have a conversation. Let's start with the basics, where are you from, what do you do, and what are you doing in Wyoming?" Daryl appreciated his no-nonsense and to-the-point style.

"Fair enough, sir," and Daryl answered all of his questions in depth, then threw in a little something extra, "I just wanna say sir, your daughter is a real special woman and I got every intention of treatin' her with respect and lookin' out for her on our trip. There ain't been any kinda physical thing between her and I, and I ain't gonna push her for that kinda thing. I ain't gonna harm a hair on her head, and I sure as hell ain't lettin' no one else."

"I appreciate that son. It's good to hear, and I know my Bethie is a good judge of character, so she must feel like you're a good guy. I'm also relieved to see you're a little older than her, and sounds like you have your life together. To tell you the truth Daryl, both my girls practically drive me back to drinking. Beth's sister ran off with a fellow from Michigan, Glenn's a good guy and all, but Michigan? Now my younger daughter is going on a motorcycle journey with a fellow from Georgia. I already know my Bethie's going to go no matter what her Mother or I have to say. I pride myself in having raised strong willed girls, but it does come back to bite me sometimes. I'm counting on you Daryl. I want my daughter calling either me or her Mother every day and letting us know where she is and that everything's okay. It doesn't have to be a long winded conversation, just keep us from worrying." And that seemed to be all the man had to say about it.

Daryl was shocked, is that it? "I will sir, I promise, in fact, let me put your number in my phone right now." The man gave him the number and he entered it in his phone.

"My wife's gonna have the noon meal on the table, come and show her how much you appreciate her good cooking." Daryl liked this man, liked him a lot.

The table was set like a Thanksgiving dinner, there was enough food for a small army. There were other people in the room, and Beth introduced him.

There was the ranch foreman, a fellow named Otis and his wife Patricia, there was another hand, Jimmy, and the top hand, Beth's brother Shawn, Shawn's wife Amy, and their two children Sam and Molly.

Beth had prepared him for meeting Shawn. He'd been on the rodeo circuit for a couple of years until he'd had a bad mishap with a bronc. Got the side of his face kicked in. It had done a lot of damage but the guy didn't seem one bit self-conscious and his wife looked at him like she didn't even see the painful looking scaring from the injury, in fact , she looked at him like he was he best thing she'd ever seen.

There was beef roast, chicken, roasted potatoes, ranch style beans, green beans, glazed carrots, jello salad, and homemade rolls and huckleberry jam. And what Daryl couldn't believe was how much everyone ate. Beth explained to him later, they'd all been out working since 5:00 am, including the kids, and this was their big meal of the day. Haying season meant long hours and a big noon meal. They'd all be back in about 8 o'clock that night to eat the leftovers.

When they left there was a lot of hugging and Beth and her Mama cried and acted like they'd never see each other again. He supposed that's how Mamas and their girls were.

He shook her Daddy's hand, thanked her Mama again for a delicious meal, and they got on his motorcycle and headed back to town.

xxxx

She wanted to shower and wash her hair before going to the brew pub so he took her to her place. She liked the way he walked her to the door, rather than just dropping her off. He was definitely old fashioned that way.

She realized she was going to have to take her dress and shoes she'd left out for tonight on the trip, take them out to the ranch, or leave them behind. He just smiled and told her not to worry, he still had room in his saddlebags.

He was just so nice.

And the more she knew him, the more she liked him.

And the more he knew her, the more he liked her.

He wanted to do a load of wash at the laundromat and get a shower himself. He told her he'd be by for her at 7:00.

When he picked her up he was surprised, man, she was done up, make up and all. She still hadn't managed to get that ponytail straight, but he kind of liked it like that. She had on a dress with short boots and he was sure she was the prettiest girl in the world, so he told her, "Ya look real pretty Beth." And her cheeks turned pink as she smiled back at him.

She climbed on the bike and just tucked the dress up under her like she'd done it a million times.

The crowd at the brew pub seemed friendly and ready to party.

He planned to just have one beer and then switch to coke, they were going to get an early start in the morning.

When she started to sing he was surprised by how great she sounded. He didn't know what he'd expected. It was an old Johnny Cash song, 'I Walk the Line', one of his favorites and as much he dug Johnny Cash, he could listen to this woman sing it all night.

He could see that the crowd knew her and loved her, she got plenty of whistles when the song was done, and cowboys were putting money in a big tip jar. He was surprised because, for the first time in his life, he felt a little jealous.

He found that in between her two sets he wanted to keep her close. He kept his hand on her low back. Guys kept coming around, wanting to buy her drinks and talk her up, but she didn't seem interested and that made him pretty damn happy.

They'd planned to split right after her second set, and when they got back out to the bike she excitedly told him, "Not bad for a couple hours work I made 50 bucks in tips!" And then she got a very serious look on her face and he swore she had tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong girl? Was somebody in there botherin' you?" He was ready to kill the sonofabitch, just point him to the scumbag.

"Daryl, I can't go with you," and she was so serious.

Fuck, "What are ya talkin' about Beth, what happened?" And instinctively he wrapped his arms around her.

And it came out, "I don't have enough money Daryl. I've been living off my savings, which were kind of meager any way, for the past two months. Counting what I made tonight, I have $150.00, that isn't enough for my share."

He was so fucking relieved. He stepped back, hands clasped around her upper arms and he stared hard in her eyes, "Ya know, I didn't ask ya ta come along so we could share expenses, I's goin' anyway, so I always planned ta buy the gas and pay for rooms along the way, none a that is gonna change just cuz yer with me. And ta be honest with ya Beth, I never planned on lettin' ya pay for meals and such, I invited you on this trip, and that ain't the way it's supposed ta be. The man pays. So what I'm sayin' here is, I really don't give a rats ass whether ya got money or not, I want ya ta come along with me."

And she looked at him and she said, "Daryl you're a dinosaur."

"What does that mean?" he was baffled.

"You open doors for me, walk me to my door, pull out my chair, and you want to pay for everything, guys just don't do that stuff anymore, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, it's very nice," she smiled.

"Well ya deserve ta be treated that way, with respect," and now he smiled.

And now her smile got a little bigger. "Thank you Daryl. But promise me if I get to be a burden you'll send me back."

And he squinted his eyes at her and said, "Yeah, right, first bus."

xxxx

He walked her to her door and told her he'd be back for her at six a.m, ready to roll, "We'll stop up in Jackson Hole for some coffee and breakfast, sound good?"

"Sounds great Daryl. I'm so excited I hope I can sleep tonight. Wish I had my TV, I'd just keep it on for company."

And he threw it out there, "Ya know Beth, we're gonna be staying together in a lotta rooms on this trip, if ya want, you can come back ta the room with me now, up to you, I don't mind a bit, and I can sleep through TV noise, no problem."

She looked at him with those big blues eyes and said, "Yes." She grabbed her toiletry bag and an oversized t-shirt she said she used as a nightgown, and they went back to his room.

And that's when it occurred to him, he slept in the raw, but he couldn't very well do that. Guess he'd be wearin' jeans to bed tonight, going to have to buy some kind of shorts for sleeping in when they got to Jackson Hole tomorrow.

When she stepped out of the bathroom he told her and she smiled, "I'd loan you a pair of my shorts, but I don't think that'll work."

"Yeah, I don't think so either," he laughed. Then he took his shirt off, and turned around to fold it and set it on the dresser. And she saw.

She couldn't believe the scars, "What the heck happened to your back Daryl? Were you in an accident?"

He turned back around and looked at her, "Nah, my ol' man, he used ta beat me and my brother and our Mama. Used a belt on me and my brother, that's what caused the scarring. I used ta be embarrassed a the scars, like it was my fault, but Merle, my bother, and me we had us a talk and we decided, fuck him, we shouldn't give that rotten bastard the satisfaction of us being embarrassed for what he done, it wasn't our fault. Was hard at first, but there it is. If it bothers you, I can put on a t-shirt."

"Well looking at scars doesn't bother me, heck, my Dad's missing a leg and my brother got half his face kicked in by a horse, but I just can't believe your own dad would do that to you. I'd like to shoot him myself," She was pissed, but then said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, he's your dad and all."

But he just smiled, "I wouldn't mind shootin' him myself, and I always thought someday Merle would kill him, but I don't think either of us wants to do the prison time, he ain't worth it. So, you know how to shoot a gun?"

"Of course I do, I can shoot a pistol, a shotgun, a rifle, and I'm not a bad instinctual shooter with my bow, Daddy's been taking me hunting my whole life," She smiled broadly.

And before he really thought about it, the words came out of his mouth, "Damn girl, I like ya better all the time."

 **A/N Yay, next chapter we'll be on the road trip with Beth and Daryl.** **There are a couple of Pinedale pics on my Tumblr, same name as here. Thank you for reading, please review xo**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Again, I thank you all so much for reading, for the follows and the faves. Let's see what our intrepid pair is up to.**

He awoke and was surprised to find he was lying on his side with his arm around her.

He got up quickly and went to the bathroom to splash a little cold water on his face and get his wits about him.

What he didn't know was, she'd been awake for the last half hour, not quite sure what do. She knew he hadn't meant to put his arm around her; it had obviously just been some natural move he'd made in his sleep. But it felt nice, and for just a little while, she wanted to pretend it was different, that he wanted to hold her.

He was looking at himself in the mirror thinking about how nice it had felt to be in bed with her, have his arm around her, but damn Dixon, you'd better hold up, she probably would've been pissed if she'd woke up, thinking he was trying to get a little too friendly way too fast.

Truthfully, that first time he'd been with a woman he was just a kid, it was before Merle even got sent up, and he'd taken Daryl to see a gal he knew. Although he couldn't deny it had felt good, he also felt embarrassed, and kind of ashamed.

Merle tried to reassure him that was normal. He told him, "Ya ain't like me Daryl, yer the sweet one, the kinda guy that meets a girl, falls in love and stays in love. There ain't nuthin' wrong with that Little Brother, but yer gonna have ta figure out a way ta meet yerself the kinda girl that a guy like you ends up with. It ain't gonna be in some dive bar like yer big brother," and Merle had laughed, but he squeezed Daryl's shoulder and looked at him like he cared for him. Merle was like that.

After Merle was released, before he started spending time with Carol, they'd occasionally go to some bar, Merle would meet up with a a gal, and she usually had a friend, and they'd all hook up. The physical release felt good, he couldn't deny that, but it also left him feeling empty, kind of lonely. Merle had been right a long ago, when he told him he just wasn't that kind of guy.

When he came out of the bathroom he just smiled shyly at her and said, "I'm just gonna text my brother Merle, then we can hit the highway whenever yer ready."

She smiled back, got up from the bed and went into the bathroom to wash her face, brush her teeth and get ready to begin the journey.

Daryl sent the text, "Met a real nice girl Merle. Wished I knew what the fuck to do. I think I like her a lot."

Soon there was a beep, "Best advice I got is let yourself have a good time, treat her like ya like her, you're a good guy, just keep being one. I'm pullin' for you. Good luck Little Brother."

And although he still didn't know what to do, he did feel better.

They were on the bike and heading to Jackson Hole by 5:30 a.m.

They'd be riding up Highway 191 into Jackson and once in town, they'd just make a left onto U.S. 89 and that would get them there.

She'd warned him there'd be animals on the road, they might see Antelope, Mule Deer, Elk, Moose and when they got a little bit further north, Big Horn Sheep. As beautiful as they were to see, hitting an elk or moose while riding a motorcycle would undoubtedly kill them and the animal, so he was being extra attentive. Although that was easier said than done when he could feel her rest her head on his back.

When she'd agreed to go with him, he'd immediately called The Old Faithful Inn inside the park to see about getting a room for a couple of nights. He didn't really expect he would, it was the height of the tourist season, but the lady who answered said he'd lucked out, someone had just called and canceled. He couldn't believe it, they were booked for tonight and tomorrow night.

This was his dream trip, and he couldn't help but feel, with her seated behind him, arms wrapped around his midsection, it was even better.

He loved riding the switchbacks through the Hoback, where the Hoback River seemed to flow backwards. You could see all kinds of sign of past avalanches, whole sections of mountain turned to rubble, trees gone. Beth had told him sometimes in winter this little two lane would be closed for hours while an avalanche was cleared.

It was in the Hoback that he saw, for the first time in his life, an enormous bull moose. The animal didn't even flinch at the sight and sound of the motorcycle. It definitely had a "fuck you, I'm bigger," look about it.

Daryl thought it may be the coolest animal he'd ever seen, but then on a hill, just as they left the Hoback, he saw Big Horn Sheep, there were even a couple on the road. They slowed down almost to a stop and he couldn't believe how the animals had almost no reaction to them, they just sort of stared at he and Beth like they were some kind of oddities.

They got into Jackson and he pulled right into the K-Mart parking lot. Beth had told him it would be the only log K-Mart he'd ever see, he'd thought she was pullin' his leg, but by God it was true.

Poor Beth, he could tell her legs were weary, she wasn't use to riding on a motorcycle like he was. He held her hand and said, "Walkin' will help ya. You'll get used to it soon enough, but do ya think yer okay, ya ain't hurtin' or nuthin', are ya?"

"My legs feel like Jello if it had little bolts of electricity shooting through it. I appreciate you worrying about me Daryl, but I'll be just fine. I'm having a wonderful time," and when she smiled at him he couldn't help himself, he smiled right back.

He picked up a cheap pair of shorts for sleeping in, and she picked up a little package of bands to tie her hair up. When they got to the register he insisted on paying, and when she tried to object he just said, "It's that birthday present I owe ya from last year, I'm kinda a high roller."

And she playfully pushed his arm and said, "I'll never be able to afford anything that nice for you."

He never imagined he could just joke around with a woman this way, have it feel so natural and fun. Heck, he'd never joked around with a woman, in fact, he didn't think he'd ever talked this much to a woman, but he sure did like talking to Beth.

She just couldn't get over how nice he was to her, always concerned about her, and gosh, he was so funny, what a great sense of humor.

They were both starving and in need of coffee, she suggested a place right up the road, Bubba's Barbeque.

"Ya wanna eat barbeque for breakfast girl?" he grinned.

"Not really Daryl, they have breakfast in the morning," she was shaking her head like he was a dummy, but she was smiling at him.

The wait was 15 minutes, but she promised him it was worth it. They talked about their plan for the rest of the day. Although it wasn't too far in terms of miles, they wouldn't be going fast, there would be slow moving traffic on the two lane, and they'd be stopping to see things on their way to the Inn. It was only 7:45 a.m., and they had a pretty realistic goal of getting to the Inn for dinner.

They were seated and they each got coffee. She told him, "Oh my gosh Daryl, they have the best omelet here, turkey, mushrooms and swiss cheese. It's my favorite."

He wrinkled his nose and said, "Who the hell wants turkey in an omelet?"

And she didn't miss a beat, "Beth Greene does, that's who does, and seriously Daryl, does anyone else really matter?"

And he wasn't going to smile, but he couldn't help himself, and he just said, "No."

He, on the other hand, ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs with biscuits and extra gravy. The portions were huge and they figured they'd eaten more than enough to hold them until dinner.

They stopped in the Jackson Hole square for just a few minutes, there was a park in the middle with huge arches made of shed antlers, now that was cool. She took his picture standing under one of them, and he texted it to Merle.

Many of the shops and buildings in the square had that old western feel to them, and she wanted him to take a quick look inside the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar where they had real western saddles as bar stools. Oh there were plenty of other things to see here, but they both felt anxious to be on their way again.

They hit Teton National Park first. Daryl couldn't believe the way those mountains looked, tall jagged peaks. It was majestic. They stopped for a minute and she helped him with the pronunciation of some of the names of the areas and the rivers. They seemed to be Indian with a French twist. She explained many of the early trappers who had hunted this area were French.

He was so grateful to have her there, she was a great tour guide. He remembered what Merle had said about letting her know he liked her, so he said it out loud. "I'm happy ta have ya on this trip Beth, not just cuz you're fun ta travel with, but ya sure have taught me a lot already."

And she smiled broadly and said, "Thank you Daryl, isn't Wyoming just the most beautiful place God ever made? A person would have to be crazy to ever leave."

And his heart sank.

When they got back on the bike she noticed he seemed to tense when she wrapped her arms around him. She was puzzled, but she thought, maybe it was just her, maybe she was imagining it. But when he didn't stop for anything the rest of the way to the entrance of Yellowstone she was sure something was wrong.

She confronted him, "What's wrong Daryl? Did I do or say something to piss you off? If I did I'm sorry, because I've been having the best time ever, and I want you to be having fun too, you're the one making all of this happen. And Daryl, you're honestly the nicest guy I've ever met."

And he was looking at her, and she was just so fucking beautiful, and sweet, and fun and all he could think was he never wanted to have to leave her, but dammit, she obviously wasn't ever gonna leave Wyoming, and he was gonna have to go home to Georgia soon. But then again, he wanted to enjoy this time with her, so he tried to smile at her, he touched her lightly on the arm and said, "Sorry, sometimes I'm just a dumbass Beth."

And she accepted that from him, but still, she knew there was more to this than he'd said. She was going to find out eventually what troubled him because she had to admit, she already cared very deeply for Daryl Dixon.

She knew several spots on the way to Old Faithful where she wanted to stop. They worked out a system where she'd tap him on the shoulder and he'd stop as soon as he could. Most often, they'd be walking off the highway, back in a ways, but there were small wooden footpaths you were to stay on. She'd get excited to see whatever it was they were going to look at, talk to him about it, he'd seem interested, but she could tell he was still distant.

He didn't want to act the way he was acting, but he just felt so hopeless. He had fallen for Beth unreasonably hard and fast. He knew he was unrealistic, but damn, she'd come right out and said it, she was never leaving Wyoming. What that said to him was, he didn't have any chance at all of having Beth Greene in his life.

They got to the Inn about 4:00 and Daryl checked them in, the place was old, huge and impressive. Their room was large, but definitely western and very rustic. She was excited the bathroom had a claw foot tub, but she was kind of disappointed it had two beds. She was hoping to wake up with his arm around her again.

He was pretty relieved the room had two beds, it would have been hard to sleep next to her, wanting to change her mind about leaving Wyoming and knowing he couldn't, and wanting her and knowing he couldn't have her.

So he just said, "Ya must be hungry, I know I am (even though he felt like his stomach was in knots and he wouldn't be able to eat anything) should we go to the restaurant Beth?"

She smiled, trying so hard to lighten the mood, and said, "That sounds great Daryl."

Neither of them ended up eating much, she was worried about him, and he was just plain sad.

They went back to the room and she said if he didn't need the bathroom for a while she'd like to take advantage of that tub. He told her to go right ahead.

Both her brain and her body felt so much better when she was soaking in the hot water. But then it came to her, she couldn't believe she hadn't realized it sooner, he regretted bringing her, she was probably crowding his style. He felt like it had been a mistake to invite her, but he was so nice he didn't know how to tell her. Darn, she'd looked forward to this so much, especially being with him, but she wasn't going to be the one responsible for ruining his 'dream trip.'

When she stepped from the bathroom she saw he was lying on the far bed, and he could not have gotten any closer to the edge without falling off. His back was to her and she felt like she'd been stabbed in the heart.

She lay down on the other bed for a few minutes, then mumbled under her breath, "Screw this." She went over to his bed, crawled over by him, wrapped her arms around him and practically burrowed into his back.

And she said, "I don't know what's wrong Daryl Dixon, but I can't stand to see you hurting, I care too much about you. You're taking this beautiful trip, and yet you seem to be suffering. Please tell me what's wrong, please. If you don't want me here, I can call Daddy and he'll send Shawn to come get me. I told you before I don't want to be a burden to you. I don't want to ruin your dream trip, I'll just go home."

He was silent, unmoving for a minute, and she thought maybe he was asleep, but then he rolled over and faced her, "That's just it Beth, I don't want ya ta leave, I want ya with me, just struck me when ya said ya wasn't ever gonna leave Wyomin', I can't explain why, don't really get it myself."

At first she just said, "Oh."

But then she placed a hand to his cheek, smiled softly and said, "No Daryl, I said a person would have to be crazy to leave Wyoming. I never said I'm not crazy."

And a feeling came over him he just could not ignore, and he leaned down and kissed her.

 **A/N Hmmmm, well, things are getting interesting. I did post some photos of the journey on my Tumblr. Thank you so much for reading, please review. xo  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Thank you all very much for reading, reviewing, following and just being splendid people all around. Lace up your hiking boots, and let's see a little of Yellowstone National Park with Daryl and Beth.**

He was kissing her like he was serious about it, and she wasn't holding back either, when suddenly his stomach growled – loudly.

He flopped backwards onto his pillow, threw his arm across his forehead, grinned and said, "Damn. Guess I shoulda ate my dinner."

And she couldn't help but giggle, "I could really go for a snack myself."

So they made their way back downstairs hoping the restaurant was still open.

He got the buffalo burger with fries and a draft beer. Beth got the hot fudge sundae.

When he saw the size of her sundae he said, "One a the many things I appreciate about you Beth is, ya ain't afraid ta eat," and he smiled that crooked little half smile at her.

"Hey, I like a small salad as much as the next girl, as long as it comes with a big steak and a baked potato," she smiled back.

He shook his head, and then got serious, "I'm sorry again for the way I acted, I shoulda talked to ya 'bout things, but I just ain't good at that kinda stuff. I'll make it up tomorrow, we'll do whatever ya want."

"Please quit apologizing, it was a misunderstanding, it's as simple as that. I'm just so happy you didn't want to send me home Daryl, I didn't want to leave you," And she looked at him with those big blue eyes, and he swore that for just a split second, his heart stopped. "And I don't want you making this about what I want to do, we should see what you'd like to see."

"You know about the place, and everything ya showed me on the way here, and I'm talkin' about since before we got in the park, has been great. I say we keep up with that way a doin' things, and I also say we make this trip about both of us, how's that?" He nodded his head slightly.

"That sounds perfect Daryl. I was thinking, when we leave the park for Cody, we'll be going out the east entrance, so let's think about heading north, toward Mammoth Hot Springs, it's one of the most beautiful areas in the whole park. It's just about 50 miles or so from here, but I know we'll be stopping and doing plenty of exploring and everything, so it's going to take us lots of time. From there we can drop down the canyon into Gardiner, Montana, maybe eat there. It's almost a 100% guarantee you're going to see lots of elk in the Mammoth and Gardiner area," She started to feel like she was babbling and she could feel her cheeks flush.

He was thinking she was without a doubt the prettiest woman he'd ever seen, but he grinned and teased her, "See, there ya go thinkin' about eatin' again."

"Yep. You shouldn't have been so quick to say you'd buy my meals, this trip is going to teach you a lot of important lessons Daryl Dixon," She gave him the evil eye, but with a smile.

"I see that Beth Greene, I'ma be workin' double overtime when I get home just ta make up for the amount a food you consume."

When they got back upstairs they took turns in the bathroom brushing their teeth and getting ready for bed.

They planned on watching Old Faithful erupt, having breakfast, and still leaving no later than 7:30 or 8:00.

She used the bathroom first, and when she came out, and he went in, she didn't even give it a second thought, she got in the bed he'd been using.

He was taking his pants off and he realized his phone was in the pocket. He put it on silent and sent Merle a quick text, "Staying at the Old Faithful Inn. Almost fucked it up completely with her, but she ain't left me yet."

In the time it took to pull the shorts on and brush his teeth he had a message, "Just keep showing her how much you like her. If she's smart, she might follow you home. Have fun little brother."

When he came out of the bathroom, he paused for just a minute, took a deep breath and said, "We gonna sleep in the same bed?"

She smiled at him and said, "Yes we are Daryl, just remember, the key word is _sleep_."

"Ya know, you really are a smartass, I'ma let ya get away with it though, just cuz yer kinda cute n all."

He crawled in next to her, and they did share a pretty serious kiss, then she said, "Goodnight Daryl, thank you for a wonderful day."

And he smiled and said, "Thank _you_ Beth, it wouldn't a been so great without you."

She rolled over with her back to him, he put his arm around her waist, pulled her closer, and they both fell asleep with a smile.

They were up by 5:30a, that's what happens when you're in bed before nine. The Old Faithful Geyser was predicted to erupt at 6:30a, which was perfect because sunrise was 6:15a. They got their clothes on, including the warm jackets, this elevation got very chilly at night.

They were excited and he took her hand in his as they made their way to the viewing area. The geyser's eruption took just under four minutes start to finish. It was a thrilling site, and when it was over, without even thinking, he wrapped her in his arms and gave her a quick kiss.

"That was exciting, that's the only word I can think of, the earth really was blowin' off steam," he smiled.

"It was beautiful Daryl, it really was, I thank you again for bringing me."

They got back to the lodge and went right to the restaurant. They both chose to have the full, all you can eat, breakfast buffet.

He smiled at her plate piled high and she squinted her eyes at him and said, "Don't even think about making a comment Daryl Dixon, I'm just trying to get your money's worth."

He just shrugged a shoulder, smiled and ate his bacon.

They stopped in the store before leaving and got bottles of water to take. They were on their way before eight.

She held on to him a little tighter than she needed to, because she wanted to and she could. He didn't fail to notice and it made him smile.

As they traveled the two lane toward Mammoth Hot Springs Daryl couldn't believe all the different sites there were to see. It seemed like they barely started the bike up, and then they'd stop again.

When they stopped at the Grand Prismatic Spring he was almost speechless, it was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. He estimated it at being about 300 x 200 feet, a giant hot tub built by Mother Nature. Beth explained that the yellow and orange colors along the edges were actually pigmented bacteria, and that the vibrant blue of the water was just the natural blue of all water, just far more intense. "Like your eyes Daryl, very intense," and she smiled and winked.

"Yay, well yer globes are pretty intense themselves girl," and he smiled and winked back.

Beth told him it was the largest hot spring in the U.S. and third largest in the world. "It'd be kinda fun ta get in it, wouldn't it Beth?"

"Well, it does sound good, except the water is like 160 degrees so we'd die, but aside from that, yeah, fun." Then she hurriedly threw her arms around him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Sorry, Daryl, I know I'm being a smart ass again, I'm trying to quit that, but it's an old habit I guess."

And he surprised her with a quick kiss to the lips and said, "Keep trying girl, I'ma let ya know when ya got it beat."

One of her favorites was the Great Fountain Paint Pot. It was like different pools, all sizes and in colors. Beth explained to him that it was named for the reds, yellows and browns of the mud in this area. And that all of the colors present are because of the oxidation of iron in the mud.

"It's just like with the all of the hot springs," she continued, "the heat in the caldera forces the pressurized water up through the ground, and then boom, here it is. With these pots, when the gas rises from the heated earth it makes all of those bubbles. That's the part I like, bubbling mud." She smiled at that.

"Well if you'd a told me ya like mud so much, I wouldn't a showered this morning," he smiled back.

"Not quite the same thing Daryl, but nice try," she nudged his arm.

"How come ya know so much about all of this Beth? I mean I know ya been here before, but I'm standing here same as you and I wouldn't a known all that."

"Oh my Dad, before he lost his leg, we'd come up here every year, he made us study all about the geothermal energy of the park, the history of it, oh my gosh, it was harder than school, but he thought if we were coming to see it we should know what it was all about."

Daryl nudged her arm then and said, "Thanks for doin' all the homework for me Beth. Gonna buy ya a real nice dinner ta show my appreciation."

"Oh my gawd, I'm rubbing off on you, now who's the smartass?"

They took their time to see lots of the hot springs, with hot water flowing over patches of brilliant yellow, orange, red, and green; hot pools lined with color; even steam which appeared to be colored, all along their way.

They continued along to Firehole Falls and Gibbons Falls, Monument Geyser Basin and more Painted Pots, and several other sights along the way. Daryl couldn't believe all of it, he couldn't believe it could all be real.

He was in awe of the buffalo, and also intimidated by their size. He figured one of the big males to be just bigger than the combination of he and Beth on the bike, it certainly stood higher.

They made it to Mammoth Hot Springs, and he saw she hadn't been kidding when she told him that it had to be one of the most impressive sights in the world. It was a massive complex of hot springs on a hill of travertine.

He'd snapped a few photos on his phone, and got a great one of Beth in front of one of the pools. "Do ya care if I send it to my brother?" he asked her.

"Well let me look at it first, I want to look my best for your brother," she giggled.

And he looked at her so intently with those steely eyes and said, "Ya always look pretty Beth."

And she noticed his neck flushing just as she felt her cheeks turning red, but she took a breath and said, "Thanks Daryl, that's very nice of you to say."

He instinctively put his arm around her shoulders and drew her into a quick hug, and whispered, "I meant it."

He texted the photo to Merle, "Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone with Beth."

It was only seconds before his phone beeped, "Damn, I need a motorcycle and a cute little blond."

They spent quite a long time exploring the Mammoth area, then made their way into the small village, and again Daryl's breath was taken away, so many beautiful Elk, just roaming around town, seemingly oblivious to the people and the vehicles.

They dropped down into Gardiner, MT to stretch their legs, look around, and get something to eat to hold them over 'til they got back to the Inn.

They ended up in a place called the Two Bit Saloon where they decided to split the elk burger and an order of chili cheese fries. He ordered a draft beer and she ordered a cherry coke.

"Ya don't like beer, Beth?" he asked.

"I like it fine, but I was kind of thinking we should get a bottle of wine here in town and we could take it to the room with us for later," and she smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Sounds good to me," and he remembered, "While we're here ya oughta call yer Daddy, I don't want him huntin' me down and shootin' me."

"I don't think he would, he'd send Shawn. Sorry, just kidding, I will when we're done eating," she nodded toward him as she took a drink of the coke.

He shook his head and smiled, "I'm so glad you suggested we come this way Beth. I can't believe everythin' I've seen today. I expected Yellowstone ta be beautiful, what with the mountains and the lake n all, but man, I guess I didn't realize everythin' that was goin' on in this place. It makes me even more glad I came, and I'm glad to see it with you," he smiled.

"I don't think I've ever enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed seeing it with you Daryl. You've made it really special for me," and they locked eyes for a moment.

When they left the restaurant she made a quick call to her Dad and told him what they'd seen and where they were heading next.

They stopped in the small store and Daryl ended up getting two bottles of wine and a cheap corkscrew.

They got back on the bike and headed back the way they'd come.

On the return they stopped at places they hadn't on the first leg, and much to the thrill of both of them, they saw a mama Grizzly and her twin cubs on the side of a small hill.

When they stopped again Daryl teasingly remarked, "Man, with all the animals I've seen taday I'm disappointed I didn't bring my crossbow on this trip."

She smiled at that and asked, "Well you do have a weapon don't you?"

He was surprised she asked but said, "Yeah, I got a pistol in an ankle holster, don't worry though, I got a concealed carry permit."

"Well that's good. I have one in my backpack, Dad insisted, and I have a concealed carry permit too," she grinned at him. "Maybe when we're not in a National park we can have a little quick draw contest, and then a shooting contest. That could be interesting."

"Yeah, well sumthin' tells me ya wouldn't be bringin' that challenge up if ya wasn't pretty sure you was gonna kick my ass." He was smiling at her, and he was thinking, damn, there's just so much about this woman I like, why did I have to come all the way to Wyoming to meet her? Shit.

"Well, naturally that's how I'd like it to go," She was smiling at him and thinking, dang it, I finally meet a guy I could actually see myself with, and he lives in Georgia of all places!

When they got back to the Inn they agreed they weren't quite ready for dinner, instead, Daryl opened one of the bottles of wine, they filled their empty water bottles with the red liquid, and went to the large upper story, outdoor deck. They sat side by side sipping the wine and watching the people, the geyser was erupting every hour and a half, so they got to see it again, while quietly enjoying each others company and the wine.

"Daryl, this is the life." She lay her head on his shoulder and he thought he never wanted this moment to end.

They had a light dinner and both wanted to shower after so they could get an early start in the morning. They planned to spend all morning and early afternoon on the east side of the park, before exiting out to Cody.

She wanted Daryl to shower first so she didn't feel like she needed to rush. He was done and out of the bathroom in less than 15 minutes.

She showered quickly, for her, but there was shaving the legs, applying the lotions, drying the hair, it just takes longer.

When she came out of the bathroom he was propped up on the bed, reading a book and drinking a glass of wine. He hurriedly stuffed the book in his daypack, and asked her, "Can I get ya a glass a wine Beth? It's tasting pretty good."

"That sounds nice, thanks."

She sat cross legged on the bed and he handed her the wine. She took a sip and said, "Wow, this is a good one Daryl, you must know your wines."

"I don't know anything about 'em, I just pick the one with the pretty label," and he winked at her.

"Right. I'm going to hate to leave the park, it's been so nice. I would recommend to all women that they ride through Yellowstone on the back of a motorcycle with a handsome southern gentlemen," she gave him a soft smile.

He didn't know what to say, so he just reached over and took her hand. They sat quietly for a few minutes sipping their wine.

Finally he said, "We should probably get some sleep, gonna have another big day tomorrow, and I can't wait."

"Yeah, me too, okay, just going to brush my teeth real quick."

He went in when she came out, she crawled in the bed, and tonight he didn't say anything, he just crawled in with her. They'd been openly flirtatious with one another all day, shared plenty of brief touches, and quick kisses, and there was a definite closeness that had quickly grown between them. There was no doubt there was a lot of sexual tension, and it wasn't just that, they each felt so bonded to the other, they were sharing a great experience, and there was an undeniable attraction they'd both sensed from the minute they first saw each other.

And they began to kiss, and it was heated and passionate, and he was rubbing her back, and she was rubbing his, and they were both making soft guttural noises, and their bodies were definitely reacting to one another, and then his hand went to her breast and her entire body stiffened, and he stopped, "What Beth? I'm sorry, was I out of line? Cuz I just thought, hey, I'm sorry girl."

And she buried her head in his chest and she spoke softly, "I'm sorry Daryl, it's just so embarrassing, I'm such a weirdo, I don't even know how to tell you. I know you're going to think there's something wrong with me, something serious."

And he had no idea what the fuck she was talking about, but she was scaring him for sure, and he asked, "What Beth, ya ain't gotta be afraid ta tell me, what's the matter?"

"It's not that I don't want to, exactly, I guess I'm just a little nervous and kind of afraid because, oh Daryl, I'm a virgin."

"Oh shit. Geez Beth, I'm sorry, I ain't gonna push for anything, I told ya that before. Ya ain't gotta be embarrassed, ain't nuthin' wrong with it. And I remember ya did tell me ya never had a guy you was interested in, so it makes sense." Holy Fuck, for some reason he'd never even considered that she might be completely inexperienced.

"I never had a guy I wanted to do that with Daryl, but I am interested in you, I'm just, well, I'm nervous and I don't think I'm quite ready. It seems in some ways like I've known you for years, but the truth is, we just met. I'm sorry."

"Nah, we're takin' this slow Beth, I'ma follow your lead. I think the world of ya, I ain't gonna tell ya I don't wanna do that, cuz I'd be lyin', but I got no problem backin' off, it's your call girl, always."

And she still had her head in his chest, and he was stroking the back of her head gently, and she began to cry softly, and he just kept whispering, "Shhh, it's alright Beth, we're alright." And soon they were both asleep.

 **A/N All in all, it was a good day, just that one little hiccup right there at the end. More soon. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing xo**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Thank you all so much for reading, following, reviewing, I appreciate you beyond words. Let's see how Daryl and Beth are faring...**

He woke first and lay there enjoying the quiet morning, and looking at her pretty face. They were still in the same position, hadn't moved all night. Her eyes started to flutter and she slowly opened them, she looked in his eyes, then she buried that pretty face in his chest.

"Whatcha doin' there girl," he smiled.

"Hiding, because I'm embarrassed," she still had her face there.

"Stop. Ain't nuthin' ta be embarrassed about for crissake. Now c'mon, let's go eat and hit the highway. We got places ta see girl!" And he lifted her chin, gave her a quick kiss on the lips, jumped from the bed and headed in the bathroom.

She smiled at that, thank God he's so nice. She'd half expected him to tell her to call her brother to come get her. But then, she knew him well enough by now to know he wasn't really that way.

They were both dressed, had their stuff back on the bike and were waiting at the restaurant at 6:30a when it opened.

They ate a light breakfast, opting to stop in the little deli and get sandwiches and snacks so they could picnic by the lake. And they were off.

They left Old Faithful Village and headed southwest through Geyser Basin. They made frequent stops to watch geysers erupt, to view animals, and to just enjoy the beauty of the park. They'd traveled 17 miles when they reached the edge of Yellowstone Lake.

Daryl was in awe, the splendor of it had him just standing there staring, and he found himself reaching for Beth's hand. They held hands and just enjoyed the beauty for a few minutes. They traveled the two lane beside the lake for 21 miles, when they reached the Fishing Bridge.

They decided to take a quick side trip eight miles north and see the Mud Volcano. Daryl had suggested it, and then teased her saying, "I know how much ya like mud and all, wouldn't want ya ta miss out."

She punched him playfully in arm and said, "Better be nice Mister Dixon or I'll be pushing you in that mud."

From the Mud Volcano they backtracked to the Fishing Bridge and had their lunch. It was peaceful, sunny but cool enough, and they were quietly enjoying the beautiful lake and their sandwiches. "I'm excited for the rodeo tonight in Cody Daryl, I haven't been to one all summer."

"It's sumthin' I been wantin' ta see. I s'pose ya been a million times," He was taking another bite of his sandwich.

"I have been a lot, I used to do some barrel racing when I was in high school, just the local rodeos and just for fun. I was working my horse, Nellie, trying to get her to mellow out. It didn't work, Daddy still calls her nervous Nellie," she laughed softly.

"Damn, I'da like ta see ya doin' that Beth, I hope you'll show me sometime," he looked at her so seriously, she wasn't quite sure what to think.

She shrugged, smiled and said, "Someday if you ever come back to the ranch I'll put on a little rodeo, although I should practice up, I might be a kind of rusty," She didn't know why, but she touched his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.

They got back on the bike and they knew, once they left Fishing Bridge Village there wouldn't be much but open country until they got to Cody, Wyoming, about 77 miles away.

They arrived in Cody and the small town was bustling. It was a favorite stopover town for folks going in or coming out of the park. And historically, it was one of the more famous Western Cities. He could tell it was a popular spot for Bikers headed to Sturgis, the streets were lined with nice Bikes with license plates from all over the country.

Daryl had called ahead and rented them a camping cabin at one of the local campgrounds. Not quite as nice as camping out in the wilderness, but he liked the idea better than one of the many motels.

Beth was animated, "I can't wait to go to the rodeo tonight Daryl! I don't need to go out to dinner or anything fancy like that, I'm happy to just eat a hot dog at the rodeo. Oh, and an ear of corn. Oh, and maybe some nachos."

He just smiled, shook his head and said, "Girl, ya got a cast iron stomach. We got some time ta kill, what do ya say we just take a walk around town, see what these folks are up to around here. Maybe pick up a six pack or some wine for later."

"That sounds perfect Daryl. I'm so happy. I haven't been to Cody since I was a little girl, I really don't remember too much about it. This is going to be fun; and I haven't ever been to the Buffalo Bill Museum, I suppose we'll go there tomorrow." He was thinking she might start jumping up and down any minute, and he almost started to laugh.

Instead he said, "Well then let's do this!" And held his hand out to her.

They wandered into a western clothing shop and she started trying on the hats. He was liking every minute of that. These weren't tourist hats, these were the real deal, and she knew all about them. She knew which brands were best, which were for working and which were for going out on the town. He thought she looked good in every damn one of them.

She looked at the chaps and the chinks, which he definitely knew nothing about, the saddles and the spurs. She was giving him a lesson and he was trying to take it all in. He was going to his first rodeo tonight, and he was happy to try and learn everything he could beforehand, he figured he'd enjoy it more if he knew what to expect.

They ended up in a tavern full of folks headed to Sturgis. They had beers, played a couple of games of pool, she beat him once, he beat her once, and decided on a six pack to go to take back to the cabin. He had to remark, "Can't believe you can just buy beer and booze right from a bartender and take it with ya."

She laughed and said, "Welcome to Wyoming."

"Hey girl, when we get back ta the cabin I want ya ta call yer Daddy, don't want him worryin' about ya, thinkin' I got ya hurt or sumthin'." He was giving her his serious face.

"Yessir Mister Dixon, I'll do it sir," and she laughed good-naturedly and gave him a quick hug.

"Sorry Beth, don't mean ta overstep, but I promised yer Daddy, and I keep ta my word," He was pursing his lips.

"No, I'm sorry Daryl, I'm not mad, if it wasn't for you I would forget, until it's too late in the evening, and Mom and Dad are in bed. I was just teasing. I appreciate you being a responsible person, I really do." And she meant it and she was thinking to herself, it's nice to be with someone who has a strong sense of responsibility and takes their word seriously.

They held hands on their way back to the cabin, and when they walked through the door he set down the paper sack that held the six pack, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. Then he pulled his face back from her and said, "Is that okay? Cuz I been wantin' ta kiss ya all day."

And she smiled and said, "It's more than okay, it's perfect, I've been wanting to kiss you too."

They kissed a while, and he wanted so much more, so he pulled back, lifted her chin with a bent index finger and said, "Call yer Daddy, I'ma get some ice."

He took the bucket down to the machine and filled it with ice, got back in the room and put the stopper in the bathroom sink, put the beers in, and dumped the ice on top.

By then she was getting off the phone, so he asked, "Ya ready ta head over ta the rodeo and get yer snacks?"

She got serious, "You know Daryl, I just realized something and I feel like a real jerk, I didn't even ask what you might want to do about dinner, I acted like I was the decider or something. You probably would have preferred a real dinner. I'm so sorry."

He lightly grasped her upper arm, "Don't worry about it, I'll be the decider tomorrow." He bent down and gave her a quick kiss, and she smiled up at him. He really was the nicest man and she couldn't deny how strong her feelings were getting for him. The more she knew him, well, the more she knew she wanted to know more.

It wasn't close, but they still decided to walk to the rodeo. They'd been on the bike a lot, and they both felt like they needed to be moving. They made their way there and it was a good crowd.

They got their snacks and made it into the stands. Now Daryl was the one excited. He'd been so curious to see the Bronc Riding, Steer Roping the Cattle Wrestling, the Barrel Racing, and of course the Bull Riding. But he didn't expect the first event at all, it was little kids, 5 and 6 years old, riding sheep, they called it Mutton Busting. He was amazed at the skills these little people had, and it was one of the most entertaining things he'd ever seen. If he were ever to have a child, which he doubted he would, he didn't think he'd want them doing this, but he loved watching it.

"Did ya do that when you was a little kid Beth?" He asked.

She shook her head and laughed a little, "No Dad wouldn't allow it, he let Shawn do it, but he didn't let me. I was so mad, but as an adult, watching it now, I can see why he thought it might not be a good idea."

Even though Bull Riding is supposed to be the most exciting event, he'd have to say he liked the Cattle Wrestling the best, that was precision work, and Daryl liked precision.

They walked back to the cabin feeling exhilarated, that was a lot of excitement. They'd barely gotten the door closed when they were wrapped in each other's arms. The kissing was heated, the need getting stronger, and soon he pulled away. "I gotta quit this shit Beth, I ain't gonna be able ta stand it, just breakin' away every time. Let's just have a beer."

"I'm sorry Daryl, so sorry. I don't mean to disappoint you." She could feel tears wanting to come and she was fighting it.

"Stop. Nah, don't say that Beth, ya got nuthin' ta be sorry for. It's just I wanna respect that, and it ain't easy cuz I can't deny I want ya, so I just gotta back off. We'll have a beer, kick back, just talk n shit, k?"

"Yes Daryl, whatever you want, that's what I want too," but damn if she didn't start to cry, and she was trying so hard.

"C'mon girl, lemme get ya a beer," and he did.

And she took a big gulp of hers and she said, "It's what I want too Daryl, I'm just scared I guess, but I know for sure I've never felt this draw to anyone before, and I am so drawn to you."

He stared hard into her eyes, then he said, "I'm willin' ta wait 'til yer ready. I got deep feelin's for ya Beth and I ain't ever gonna treat ya any way but good."

 **A/N Dang, how can a girl resist that? Thank you so much for reading, please review xo**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Thank you so much! Our couple is about to embark on a heckuva day.**

Again he woke with her in his arms, her back was too him and pressed up close to his chest, his arm was around her waist, and he was feeling sure this was the way he wanted to wake-up every day for the rest of his life. She was a perfect fit, right where she was.

She started to stir and suddenly she jumped up yelling, "Oh No!" as she ran to the bathroom.

He was going to follow, quickly pulling back the covers to get up, then he saw there was blood, for a split second he thought she was hurt, then he realized what it meant. Damn, poor Beth.

He heard her in there muttering to herself, he couldn't catch most of what she said, but he did hear, "Dang it!"

He went to the bathroom door and knocked lightly, "Ya okay Beth?"

"Yes, thanks, I'm just trying to figure out what to do. I suppose you know what's going on."

"Yeah, I think I got it figured out," he couldn't help a small smile.

"Well the problem is, I don't have any, oh you know, supplies. I wasn't expecting this until next week." She was mortified, thank God there was a door between them.

"Well whaddya need, I'll go get it." That seemed simple enough.

"Are you kidding me Daryl, won't you be embarrassed?" She was sure he couldn't mean it, what guy did that?

"Why? Ain't like anyone's gonna think I'm gonna use that stuff," He was smiling again. "Ya just gotta write down exactly what it is cuz I don't know nuthin' 'bout that. Here, they left a little notepad and a pen on the bedside table, let me slide it under the door, you write it."

Soon she slid the note back, she'd written it down and below that, "Thanks so much Daryl xo."

He remembered a drug store just down the street, went there, got what she'd written, and hurried back.

He knocked lightly on the door, "Here ya go Beth."

She cracked the door open just enough to grab the small bag, hurriedly closed it and said, "Thanks Daryl, I'm going to take a fast shower."

He texted Merle, "Hey brother. Beth still hanging with me. Rodeo was amazing. How's business?"

Soon his phone beeped back. "She's a smart gal. Business is good, everything under control. Customers miss you"

She came out of the bathroom with just the towel wrapped around her and a bright red blush to her cheeks, "Sorry, forgot my clothes."

"Don't be sorry girl, I ain't complainin' a bit." He grinned.

She smiled back and took her things in the bathroom.

When she came out dressed and ready to go, he said, "Damn, I'm hungry, let's get some breakfast and head over ta that Buffalo Bill Museum, whaddya say?"

"That sounds perfect," She smiled, "And thanks again Daryl."

He just shrugged.

The museum surprised them, both the size of the place, and how much there was to see. There were beautiful western paintings, sculptures and photographs. Daryl loved the Remington Sculptures, and Beth loved Remington's paintings.

The firearms exhibit was unbelievable. There were over 7,000 firearms and more than 30,000 firearms-related artifacts. They both loved the old west pistols and rifles. Beth elbowed him, "This reminds me Daryl, aren't we supposed to have a little contest?"

"That's right Annie Oakley, we sure are. Ya think there's someplace 'round here we can get away with that?" He tried hard to look serious, but a small grin broke through.

"I sure do cowboy, how about when we wrap it up here we head up in the hills a ways and have a shoot-out?" She smiled a sly little smile like she knew she could whoop him.

"Sounds good ta me, and don't be gettin' all cocky, I ain't that bad missy," Now he smiled broadly.

They continued to tour the large museum and he held her hand. She loved that he always did that, it seemed friendly and intimate.

Her favorite exhibit by far was 'Adornment in the West: The American Indian As Artist'. She loved the beautiful and intricate bead work of the vests, dresses, moccasins, and all types of tools and accessories. The lovely hair adornments, and the beautiful buckskin dresses. They were both in awe of a buckskin dress covered with ivory Elk teeth. Beth explained to him that male and female elk alike have two canine teeth of ivory. At the time of the hunt, the successful hunter removes the prized teeth. In some Indian cultures no self-respecting man presumed to marry unless he and his family could furnish the elk teeth necessary to adorn a wife's dress. Three hundred was considered the norm.

"Well hell, it ain't even legal ta hunt elk in Georgia, what's a guy ta do?" He smiled at her.

"I don't know; maybe move to Wyoming?" She said, and they locked eyes.

"Ya know I can't do that, don't ya Beth? I got a business in Georgia, people countin' on me for their jobs. I got a home I built myself, a piece of land, and a brother, he's my only kin, well unless the old man is alive, but he don't count. And what would I do for a livin' in Wyoming? I'm too old ta learn ta rodeo, and I don't know nuthin' about ranchin' or the energy business." He continued to look into her eyes.

And then, even though he wasn't one for public displays of affection, he hugged her close and whispered in her ear, "I got plenty a room at my place if ya wanted ta come ta Georgia." And he could feel her tense up, so he pulled away, and said, "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's just a lot to think about Daryl," She lightly squeezed his arm.

He couldn't disagree with what she'd said, she was being smart, he'd probably been impulsive. But he just wanted her in his life so much, he knew he was falling for her, hell, he was sure he already fell. He was just going to settle for what he could have for now, and he'd deal with any sadness later. "I get it Beth, I really do. How about shootin' guns, ya ready ta teach me a lesson Annie?"

"Yes I am cowboy!" She smiled, but she knew he was hurt and she didn't want to do that to him. She did know she was falling for him, heck, she probably already fell. There was nothing she wanted more than to figure out how to make this work. But what did she know about the south? Nothing. Wyoming had always been her home, ranch life and the energy business was all she really knew. And she'd never lived more than 15 minutes from her family. Why did having feelings for him have to be so complicated?

She was happy, and relieved, when he took her hand again as they made their way from the museum out to where they'd parked the bike.

"Let's go back to the room and get those empty beer cans, we can use them for our targets, and I can freshen up and stuff," she blushed a little and he squeezed her hand.

He smiled down at her, "Sounds good."

They got the cans from their room, and a few extra cans from the recycling bin, and put them all in the sack the beer had come in last night. Beth had her back pack with her pistol and a couple of bottles of water, and Daryl was packing his gun in his ankle holster, as always.

She pointed him in the direction she thought they'd find a spot. Within 10 minutes they were well out of town and well away from "civilization," but they rode for another 10 minutes or so just to make sure they wouldn't be bothering anyone.

The terrain was fairly barren, perfect for 'target practice,' and mostly dirt and rock. Some sage and some scrub brush, and some bigger rock outcroppings.

They set up the beer cans on a big flat rock, and each of them got their pistols out and ready. They took one practice shot each.

When the contest began, Beth went first, one shot per can, to see how many she could hit. She got them all.

Next up, Daryl, and he got them all.

They started making it tougher and tougher, cans in sage, edges of cans barely showing above a rock, all sorts of little tricks. It turned out they were a pretty good match, with Daryl edging her out but not by a lot. "You're awesome Beth, I'ma take ya with me next time I rob a stagecoach."

"Sounds perfect Daryl, I can't wait, I've always wanted to rob a stagecoach," and she stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

He took her in his arms and gave her quite a bit more passion, then pulled back a little, smiled and said, "Don't be gettin' me started girl. We best get this mess cleaned up and head back ta town. Ya need ta call yer Daddy, and I'm hungry. Hell, if I'm hungry you must really be famished."

"You better be careful what you say to a woman with a gun Daryl, but yeah, I am pretty starving," she laughed.

They started picking up the cans, and Beth spotted one that had really been knocked for a loop over by the drop. She went to pick it up, her boot heel hit loose rock, and boom, she was tumbling down the 20 foot rise covered with rock. Daryl rushed over and side-stepped down the hill as fast as he could.

"Beth, baby are you okay?" Her arms and hands were covered in scratches, her face was covered with blood and she was crying. He took the bandana from his back pocket and gently tried to get the blood off her face, at least enough so he could see how badly she was cut. She was bleeding profusely and it looked pretty bad. She had a deep gash on one cheek bone; and another on her forehead.

"Yer gonna need stitches girl." And then he checked for broken bones. It seemed she didn't have any and he was relieved. "Ya think you can get ta the bike?" He felt guilty and he didn't know why, like he somehow should have been able to keep this from happening.

He put his arm tightly around her midsection, while she put hers around his shoulder and they made their way back to the bike.

"Are ya gonna be able ta make it back ta town on the bike Beth?" he held her up.

"Yes Daryl, I have to, I can do it, it's not that far," She leaned into him and he kissed her forehead.

"Okay, if ya need me ta stop, just give me a sign, squeeze an arm, tap my shoulder, whatever you can do, that's what ya do, k?" He gave her a quick kiss, started the bike, and she got on behind him.

He wanted to race back to town, but he checked himself. He didn't want to risk her getting thrown off the back of the bike, or the bike skidding on loose dirt.

They made it to the hospital, and without even thinking about it, he picked her up and carried her in.

The emergency room was nearly empty, thank God, and the admissions woman came right over. She asked him what had happened. "She fell down a rocky hill, I'm guessing twenty feet."

"And her name?" The woman was writing on a clipboard.

"Beth Dixon," he replied. He'd been to the hospital a lot growing up, he knew they weren't going to give him any access to her if he wasn't a close relative.

Beth just looked at him, he gave her a slight nod, and she knew to go along.

"Are you a relative?" the woman asked.

And he said, "Yeah, I'm her husband, Daryl Dixon."

"Address?" and he gave his.

"Insurance?" and he told her he'd just pay.

When the woman asked her birth date, he looked at Beth, "Damn baby, I'm such a wreck I can't think."

And Beth told the woman.

They wheeled her into an exam room, with Daryl right behind. The woman told them she'd get the doctor, and as soon as they were alone Beth questioned him.

"I did it cuz I knew if I didn't, they wasn't gonna let me be in here with ya, and I wasn't gonna leave ya alone. I been ta the hospital a lot, I know how it goes, if ya ain't a close relative, yer not allowed near the patient, or even ta know anything 'bout how they're doin'. I wasn't gonna do that ta you or ta me Beth." And he kissed her hand.

"Thank you Daryl, and I'm sure my Dad will pay you back," She was looking mighty pale to him, which considering how white her skin was, was saying a lot.

The doc came in and examined her, then said, "You have some deep cuts Mrs. Dixon, we'll get them cleaned up and sutured, but I'm afraid there might be some scarring, I'm sorry."

Daryl was surprised when she just nodded and said, "Okay."

The doctor smiled and said he'd be right back with the nurse and suture kit.

They were alone again and he said, "Yer still gonna be the prettiest girl around, and ya know, I don't need yer Daddy ta pay Beth, I got it. The important thing is we just get this taken care of, I don't like ta see ya hurt."

"You know Daryl, for a tough guy, you're awfully sweet."

"Stop," he looked down and she could tell she'd embarrassed him. But darn, he really was so sweet, just the nicest, most perfect guy ever, what was the matter with her? Why didn't she just say "Yes" she'd go anywhere with him. She was such a big chicken.

She got her stitches, a prescription for pain meds, and Daryl gave the admissions woman his credit card to run so the hospital could bill him direct. They were back at the cabin by six. "Damn girl, we had a big day taday, especially you. I'ma go pick us up sumthin' ta eat, and yer pills, unless you'd rather have beer or wine. Ya can't have drugs _and_ booze, I can't be lettin' ya double down on yer poisons."

She smiled and said, "Please pick us up some nice wine that sounds perfect. And Daryl, thank you. I'm sorry I've been so high maintenance today. It's your vacation and you're stuck taking care of me all day, and it hasn't exactly been easy."

He just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Doing what's right Beth, that's all. Be back soon. Call yer Daddy."

She did, that took two minutes, then she decided to call her sister Maggie, after all, she'd taken a huge leap of faith moving to Michigan with Glenn. Beth wanted to know all the details of how she'd come to the decision to just go for it.

She didn't tell her about her accident, she knew that's all they'd talk about if she mentioned it. She just briefly described Daryl, how sweet he'd been, and such a gentleman. And Maggie told her when she'd made her decision it was because she just couldn't imagine not being with Glenn, that she would have moved anywhere. But she reminded Beth that she didn't have to make the decision today, that she and Daryl still had just over two weeks. Wait and see what happens.

When she got off the phone she went in the bathroom to "freshen" again, and that's when she saw her face for the first time, and she was horrified. She hadn't known how bad it was. How could Daryl even look at her? He just acted like nothing was wrong. Man, he should be an actor.

Besides two great big cuts with ugly looking black stitches, the whole right side of her face was red and irritated looking, like road rash. Oh man, she was a real prize.

She did what she had to do, and then went back to the bed and lay down.

Daryl came in a few minutes later with two big bags and a little one. He set the wine on the table, tossed the small bag on the bed said, "I got the pain pills too, in case ya changed yer mind."

"Thank you Daryl."

He did that shoulder shrug thing and started to set the food out on the small dining table. He hadn't picked up fast food, he'd gone to a real restaurant and picked up meals. There was chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and rolls. She smiled, "How come you never want to feed me Daryl?"

He smiled back, "I'm tryin' ta keep ya weak and hungry. Hey, seriously though Beth, I been thinkin' and I don't wanna leave tomorrow like we planned. I think you should take a day ta rest, we'll make up the time somewhere else on the trip."

"You sure it's not because of how I look? I saw myself in the mirror while you were gone. I know I look pretty scary. I know you're probably embarrassed to be seen with me." She wasn't looking at him.

Now it had been a long and emotional day for Daryl too, he'd handled it all real well, but when she said that, damn.

"What? Jesus Beth, that's ridiculous. Why do ya gotta make me out ta be some kinda mean asshole who's gonna want yer brother ta come for ya, or I'm tired of ya, or I think yer a burden, or I'm embarrassed of ya. For crissake girl, I'd think by now you woulda caught on that I'm crazy about ya. But ya know what, screw it, I'm just fuckin' done." And he walked right out the door.

And she was stunned and hurt. Then she thought about it. He was right, he was always proving to her how much he cared, in what he said and what he did, she had it so good with Daryl Dixon, and she hadn't let him know that she was as crazy about him as he was about her. No, she was keeping her feelings all safely hidden, while he was wearing his on his sleeve.

She went out to find him. It was dark, but there were some lights in the campground. She walked a ways before she saw him standing over by a tree, back to her and looking down, like he was deep in thought.

She quietly walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his back. "I'm so sorry Daryl, you're right, I'm the one who's been a jackass. You've been there for me every step, and you've treated me like I'm so special. You do so much for me, and you're so patient, so thoughtful. I've never known anyone like you Daryl. You're a wonderful man, the nicest man I've ever known. And I haven't told you the truth, I haven't told you I'm crazy about you. I'm sorry I haven't showed you that. Please forgive me."

And he slowly turned around, wrapped his arms around her and just held on tight.

 **A/N Gee, that was quite a day. Daryl was a stand up guy from the start, and then our girl pushed him over the edge, but it seems they've made up. Next chapter we're going to pick right up where this one leaves off. Thanks so much for reading, please review xo**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Thank you all again, you keep me going! This chapter is, well, you'll just have to read it cuz I don't want to give anything away xo**

They held hands and slowly walked back to the cabin.

The now cold dinner didn't look too appetizing, but it had been a long and emotional day and they were both starving.

Daryl lightened the mood, "This wine is s'posed to pair really well with cold mashed potatoes and gravy, wanna find out for sure?"

And she smiled at him and answered, "Oh yes please, I've always wanted to try that pairing."

And the wine did seem to help that cold, and pretty nasty, food go down.

They stayed up most of the night drinking wine and talking. She wanted to know all about how Daryl had started his business. This time he was more honest with her. He told her about Dale catching him siphoning gas. And although he didn't go into detail, hell she'd seen the scars he didn't think he needed to, he did tell her a little about what life had been like at home and why he moved into the shop when he was 16, how Dale had taught him the business end of the business, and how he'd ended up buying it from Dale.

"Wow Daryl, you're a really strong person, and you obviously had a huge will to survive and to succeed. What a combination."

He looked down and shrugged his shoulders, as though he was embarrassed. "I don't know 'bout that. I's lucky enough ta get caught stealing by a man who could see through my tough guy attitude. And I was real lucky ta fall into a job I turned out loving. I could easily have ended up a nobody, nuthin'"

"Well I happen to think you're remarkable. Heck, I feel like I haven't done much of anything. I was awkward in school, I didn't seem to fit in with any particular group of kids." Like him, she shrugged her shoulders.

He furrowed his brow, "Did ya get picked on?"

"No, I never had those kinds of problems. I don't think it was the other kids, I think it was just me. I was so shy. I was more comfortable just being at home on the ranch with my horse and my family or playing my guitar. Maybe I became a smart ass to hide my shyness and awkwardness, who knows?" She laughed.

They'd consumed enough wine that the conversation turned to that subject they both had so much apprehension about, the elephant that was always in the room, what would happen at the end of their trip.

Daryl got serious, "I ain't gonna ask ya ta make a decision right now, just want ya ta be thinkin' about it. I want ya ta come home with me ta Georgia. I'd treat ya good Beth, you wouldn't ever have ta worry 'bout that. You could come back ta Wyoming and see yer folks as much as ya wanted," and then he lightened things up a little when he laughed softly and said, "Hell, I'll even buy ya a damn horse if ya want."

And she laughed a little and said, "I'm thinking about it Daryl, I am, but I want to feel sure, for me and for you. Okay?"

And he nodded, chewed that thumb a little and replied, "That's all I'm askin' right now Beth, think about it."

They finally went to bed at 4:00a.m. buzzed and exhausted. Things got a little more passionate than they had been. They were holding each other, rubbing each others backs and kissing like they'd been craving the intimacy. This time when Daryl caressed her breast she didn't tense, she responded with a low moan. He moved his hand down to softly rub her belly and then slid his hand under her shirt, she let out a small gasp and he immediately stopped and whispered, "Sorry." And she put her hand to his cheek and said, "No, don't stop Daryl."

He began to fondle her breasts and slowly lifted the t-shirt over her head. In the moonlight he could see the bruising from her fall, on her arms, abdomen and chest. He assumed her whole body must be bruised. "I'm so sorry ya got hurt Beth, wish I could have done more." And he lightly kissed a few of those bruises.

And she whispered, "You were perfect."

He circled his thumb over her nipples until they were taut, and then started to gently kiss and suck on them. She was responding with low moans and running her fingers through his hair and up and down his back, so he increased the intensity of the touching, then slid his hand down to her bottom and pulled her lower body into his so she could feel his hardness, and he asked her softly, "How far we gonna take this Beth? I don't wanna cross that line if you ain't ready." And he looked in her beautiful eyes and he knew he never wanted anything more.

And as much as she wanted this, she didn't think she could. "I'm sorry Daryl, I want to, but I don't think I can yet."

And he rolled over on his back, and heaved a low sigh, but he had his arm around her shoulders and he pulled her over to him, so that her head rested on his chest, and said, "Don't be sorry Beth, I told ya before it's yer call. If ya ain't ready, ya ain't ready."

"It's not that I don't want to, with you, but my whole body hurts so much and I don't think I can. I don't want it to be too painful. And besides that Daryl, there's the other thing, my monthly thing," She almost whispered.

"Ah shit Beth, I'm so sorry girl. I ain't worried 'bout that monthly thing, but I shoulda thought about the injuries. When I saw all a those bruises, I shoulda worried more for ya," And he bent down and kissed the top of her head.

"You're not mad?" She whispered again.

"No, damn, I want ya ta enjoy it and that ain't gonna happen if yer in pain. Am I disappointed? Hell yeah. But Baby, don't worry 'bout it, I can be patient. I can wait 'til it's right for you."

And again he bent down and kissed the top of her head. "Go ta sleep now Beth, been a long day and night, ya need yer rest ta heal up."

She drifted off, and she continued to sleep through most of the next day and evening. He was relieved, he knew it would help her heal. He gotten them something to eat in the afternoon, she woke briefly and ate a little, then she took one of her pain pills and went back to sleep.

He texted Merle, "Beth had an accident, fell down a 20 foot rise and got busted up pretty good but she's okay. And damn brother, this girl is a hell of a shot with a pistol."

"Glad she's okay brother, and stay outta the line a fire. You bringing her home?"

"Don't know, want to, she ain't decided."

"If she's smart she'll come with you little brother."

Daryl spent the day polishing his bike, getting the saddle bags repacked, and taking walks through the area.

That evening she wanted soup and he walked down to the nearest café, picked her up a large carton to go, and himself a Buffalo burger. She thanked him, took a pain pill, and she was back out. He showered, checked his map, crawled into bed next to her and just held on tight.

The next morning she was up and at 'em, showered and ready to go. She smiled at him, took his hand and gave it a squeeze, "Thanks so much for taking such good care of me Daryl, I guess I really needed that day to heal, just like you said. But I'm feeling so much better now, where are we off to?"

"I thought we'd go check out Devil's Tower and then maybe just head on into South Dakota and stay in Deadwood. It ain't a bad trip, except for veering off a little to see the Tower and again just before we get to Deadwood. It's I-90 all the rest a the way, so it should be fast going, and smooth. We'll make up our lost time. It's only 6:30 now, if we wanted, we could just eat a granola or sumthin', and wait 'til we pulled into Sheridan ta eat breakfast. I'd like ta have a look around there. Sound alright?" He'd been lightly rubbing an open palm up and down her bare arm as he spoke.

"That sounds perfect Daryl, I can wait to eat. I'm excited to get started again. I've always wanted to see Devil's Tower, and I've heard from friends that Deadwood is a fun little town," And she impulsively gave him a hug, which made them both smile.

The travel was easy, mostly open country. The only real town they went through in almost two and a half hours of travel was Greybull, and it was small. There were some steep hills through the Big Horn National Forest, but he liked riding the bike up and down them. They saw plenty of other bikes heading the same way, and quite a few trailers pulling bikes.

They dropped down into Sheridan, it was beautiful, green and wide open horse country. The town's main drag was lined with motorcycles and pick-up trucks. It was obviously a popular stop for folks headed to the rally.

Daryl pulled into a little place called the Silver Spur Café. It sure as hell wasn't anything fancy, but by then they were both plenty hungry and the food did not disappoint.

He reached across the table and rested his hand on hers, "Ya feelin' okay Beth, not getting' too jostled around on the back a the bike?" He was always so concerned about her.

She smiled at him, "No it's just fine. Please don't worry about me. This is such a great trip and I'm having a wonderful time. The country around here is really beautiful, so different than the other side of the mountains. And I feel good, nothing like a day in bed to get well. Thanks again for just letting me rest, it made all the difference."

He smiled back at her thinking, damn she is so sweet and so beautiful.

From Sheridan they continued on I-90 through the small town of Buffalo and the larger coal town of Gillette. Daryl had never seen mining operations like the way they did it in Gillette. He was impressed.

They continued to Moorcroft where they turned off onto highway 14 and took that two lane right to Devil's Tower.

The 5,100 foot tall monolith looked like a giant heavily scarred rock reaching out of the ground. It was nearly flat on top. Daryl had seen it in that old movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, it was where the spaceship loaded all the people aboard.

There were several Indian legends of how the iconic monument had been formed, but he and Beth both liked the Kiowa and Lakota that told of some girls who went out to play and were spotted by several giant bears that began to chase them. The girls climbed atop a rock to try and escape, fell to their knees, and prayed to the Great Spirit to save them. Hearing their prayers, the Great Spirit made the rock rise from the ground towards the heavens so the bears couldn't reach the girls. The bears left deep claw marks in the sides of the rock, which was too steep for them to climb. When the girls reached the sky, they were turned into the star constellation Pleiades.

They took some time to walk around and stretch their legs, enjoying the warm weather and calm of the area. Beth loved the way he took her hand. Her feelings for him continued to grow stronger each day. She knew he was the best of the best, full of concern and kindness. He was gentle but not weak. Not to mention incredibly handsome and sexy. He was everything she'd always wanted in a man, but she still could not see herself going to Georgia. It made her almost panic just to think about it.

It wasn't that she was sure she just going to hate it, everything he'd told her about Georgia and his place there, it sounded perfect. She was afraid though, afraid of the change and afraid of the commitment.

What she'd come to understand about this man was, once _he_ made the commitment, it was going to be forever, and she felt like she couldn't make a promise to him she wasn't sure she could keep. What if she got there and felt she just couldn't stay, for whatever reason, then what? She'd break his heart for sure. It was better if she just didn't go at all and he'd find a woman back in Georgia. There had to be plenty there that would give their right arm to be Daryl Dixon's woman.

Before they got back on the bike he impulsively reached to the back of her head and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her, "I'm so glad you're here with me Beth, I wouldn't have enjoyed all this like I have if you weren't here."

She hugged him back and she was so conflicted, he was so good to her, and she was pretty sure she was in love with him, it just made everything so much harder.

They road through Sundance, which was surrounded by more beautiful horse country, then they crossed the border into South Dakota and the first town they hit was Spearfish. They were seeing more and more bikes, and Daryl was getting excited for the start of the big rally.

He'd gotten them a room for two nights at an historic downtown Deadwood hotel, right on the main drag. He'd spent extra money to get the room with the Jacuzzi. He figured that would help Beth's aching body.

The rooms were just above the hotel's casino and bar/restaurant. They were definitely old school western. All the doors and windows were trimmed in oak, and the furniture, although in great condition, looked like the original furnishings from 1902.

As he figured she would be, Beth was excited about the Jacuzzi tub, "I'll be crawling in there when we get back tonight," she smiled at him. "Thank you Daryl, this is all just so beautiful."

After hitting a few of the local drinking holes, Mustang Sally's, The Midnight Star, and a couple of casinos, they ended up at Saloon #10. It seemed well populated with bikers headed to Sturgis. There were some good people, but also a few less than savory types. Daryl wasn't sure he thought it was a good place to bring Beth, but she told him not to worry, she could handle it.

And it did turn out okay, in fact they had a lot of fun talking and trading travel stories with these kindred spirits all headed to Sturgis.

They decided to bypass a restaurant dinner, and eat off the bar menu.

They returned to the room happy, full and ready for a good night's sleep.

She let him use the bathroom first, and then she filled the tub. She slid down in the almost too hot water and turned on the jets. It felt so good, and so relaxing, and her mind wandered to thoughts of Daryl. She couldn't stop thinking about Daryl and how perfect he was, and how sad she would be to say goodbye to him.

She came back in the bedroom with just a towel wrapped around her. He was in the bed reading his book, which he quickly stuffed in his backpack beside the bed when he saw her. She switched the bedside lamp to dim, dropped the towel and crawled in bed next to him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and started kissing him intensely, he responded at first, but then pulled back just a little. "Beth?" she knew what he was asking.

"Yes Daryl, I want this with you." She smiled shyly.

He was stunned, he hadn't expected this even a little bit, but he certainly wasn't complaining.

He knew she was inexperienced, and he wanted to take his time with her. He began kissing her with a new passion, and was thrilled when she responded in kind. He moved to her neck and she moaned when he sucked the soft skin there, while slowly and softly running his fingers up and down her arm and then through her hair. He slowly slid that hand down to her breast while continuing to kiss her neck and lips. He gently pulled at her hardened nipples, and she responded by wrapping a leg around him and making soft whimpering noises. Then he moved his mouth to suck on one breast as his hand fondled the other. He could tell she was liking it all and her arousal aroused him.

He began to slide his hand lower, but then paused, looked in her eyes and asked, "Ya sure Baby? We can stop if ya want."

"I don't want you to stop Daryl. There's no one I would want to have be my first but you." And he kissed her more passionately than ever before as he slid a hand down. He started slow, just softly rubbing her curls and the insides of her thighs, then he slowly slid his finger in her, she gasped at first, but then as he moved his finger inside her, subtly increasing the pressure and pace, she whispered, "Oh that feels so good Daryl."

With that encouragement he began to gently rub her clit with his thumb, with his finger still moving in her pussy, while using his mouth to suck hungrily on her breast. Again, she whispered to him, "Oh Daryl, oh it feels o good, I, I…" and then she came.

And he held her tightly and whispered to her, "Feel good Baby?"

"Oh my gawd Daryl, yes, so good."

And he smiled as he reached to get a condom from his backpack. While he opened the package she quietly asked, "Do you just carry those around with you?"

He smiled, "I's hoping sooner or later you'd say yes, and I wanted to be sure I could protect ya."

He entered her with his finger to again peak her arousal, while sucking intently on her breast. When he knew she was ready he slowly began to enter her, when he hit that spot she gasped loudly, and he paused his movement for just a moment, but continued to play with her nipples and kiss her neck. By her responsiveness, he knew she ready for more. He slowly began to pump within her, going deeper and harder as she continued to react with a passion of her own. Her fingers were in his hair, then rubbing his chest and his back, while she softly whispered his name. And he quietly said to her, "Oh Beth Baby, you feel so good, so good Baby." And as he worked himself inside her, he moved his fingers to her clit and began to rub it with just a little pressure and when she started to react he increased the speed of his pumping, and also the pressure on her clit and she came with more intensity than the first time. He slowed his movement in her, giving her that moment to fully enjoy her orgasm, and then he quickened his pace and soon he could hold back no more and his own orgasm was unleashed.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and rolled onto his back taking her with him. He looked up to her face with a smile and said, "Ya happy Beth, was it okay?"

"No Daryl, it wasn't just okay, it was the best thing I ever felt," and she leaned down and kissed him.

He kissed her deeply, then got up and went in the bathroom for a minute. He'd disposed of his condom, but also brought back a warm washcloth, and he cleaned her womanhood while he kissed her lips.

They fell asleep in each others arms with him thinking she cared for him and she might really come back to Georgia, and her thinking how badly it was going to hurt them both when she didn't go to Georgia with him.

 **A/N Well, I didn't see all of that coming either. Don't ask me what's wrong with Beth, I'd be going with him in a heartbeat. I hope you enjoyed. Thank you so much for reading, please review xo**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Thank you all so much. I know you're mad at Beth and I don't blame you, I'm mad at her too. Let's see what's happening in South Dakota.**

Daryl couldn't recall ever being happier than when he woke with a naked Beth in his arms. He knew there was nothing more beautiful in the world.

He'd never been in love, but in that moment, he was pretty certain that's what had happened, and he didn't mind. He couldn't imagine anyone he'd rather fall for. She was sweet, smart, funny, outdoorsy, and beautiful. What the hell else could a guy want?

He watched her slowly wake and when her eyes opened he put his hand to her cheek and said, "Hey Baby, how ya feelin'?"

She smiled back, but he could see by the color in her cheeks she was a little embarrassed, "I'm doing wonderfully thank you."

He could tell she was reluctant, so he rose first and quickly slipped on the athletic shorts and headed in the bathroom. He was more than surprised when she joined him in there just minutes later.

She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, held him tightly and she whispered, "Thank you Daryl. If I don't get another opportunity, I want to tell you now, thank you."

"Whatcha talkin' about girl? First of all, you can have all the opportunity ya want, and second of all, ya got nuthin' ta thank me for," she knew he was smiling and it just made her feel like such a jerk.

They showered, dressed and headed out for a day of exploring the area.

It started out with a big breakfast, they were both hungry after a light dinner and a night of "exercise."

They rode three miles over to the town of Lead and took a tour of the Homestake Gold Mine. They bought a Hoagie to share later and a couple of bottles of water and took off on the bike through Spearfish Canyon scenic byway. The highway twisted through a 19 mile gorge. They stopped, ate their sandwich and did a little hiking by one of the three waterfalls and enjoyed the natural beauty of the Black Hills.

By the time they made their way back to the hotel in Deadwood it was late afternoon. Daryl wanted to eat early, at Legends Steakhouse, maybe do a little walking around town afterwards, and get a good night sleep. The next day they'd be heading into Sturgis and he was anxious.

He knew it was going to be crazy busy, he'd made his reservations a year ago and was renting a cabin at a campground that had a bar and restaurant. He'd never heard of anything like that, but then Sturgis was supposed to be a unique experience.

He'd heard the steaks were awesome at Legends, and he was looking forward to that free range beef. But all day he'd noticed that Beth seemed unusually quiet, and almost nervous, or maybe embarrassed. He couldn't put his finger on it. And so he asked, "Beth, are ya feeling bad about last night? Are ya regrettin' what we done?"

And she looked at him, and he swore she had tears in her eyes, but she said, "No, not at all. It was wonderful Daryl. You're a very special man and I couldn't ask to be with anyone better than you."

As sweet as that sounded, it made him uncomfortable. He knew something was going on with her, he just didn't know what.

He held her hand as they strolled through the small, but very busy town. She leaned into him a couple of times, almost like she sought support.

When it was his turn in the bathroom he sent Merle a quick text. "Had a real nice time in Deadwood, going to Sturgis in the morning. Something seems up with Beth, but I ain't sure what, and she don't say."

The phone beeped a response, "Glad you're having fun little brother, kind of jealous here. Women are hard to figure, she ain't left yet."

Daryl smiled, Merle had a way about him, that was for sure.

He'd decided he wasn't going to make any moves on her. So he was more than a little surprised when he got in the bed and she immediately moved towards him and began to kiss him. Although he was baffled, he certainly wasn't going to deny his own desire.

Beth had felt guilty all day. She knew she was "in a mood" and she knew it was making Daryl uncomfortable, but she just couldn't stop thinking about everything. She didn't know why she made the decisions she did.

Why had she come with him in the first place? She'd known she was asking for trouble right away. He was so handsome and she was so infatuated, but she knew he lived faraway, and she knew it would never be in the cards for him to move to Wyoming. Then she'd really done it, she should have never made love with him. Now he would think that she was for sure going with him. And as much as she felt like she loved him, she just couldn't see herself doing that.

She felt she had to stay at least until after Sturgis, she wasn't going to pull the rug out from under him right when he was about to finally get his time at the rally.

And she just kept messing it up because; as soon as he'd crawled in bed she was all over him. He was like a drug she couldn't say "No" to. But she'd have to, in only a few more days.

xxxx

As usual, they woke early. He noticed she was a little more like herself this morning. Must have just been having an off day, hell, everyone did from time to time.

They got ready, packed everything on the bike and had breakfast. They took a little time to just walk around, they were only about 18 miles from Sturgis, so there was no hurry.

Daryl was amazed by what he saw when they pulled into town. Never had he seen so many motorcycles in one small area. The highway had been packed with bikes coming into to town, but this was something else. There were hundreds of bikes. The town had a population of around 6,600, and the rally was expected to draw about 500,000. It was all pretty overwhelming.

He wanted to see a freestyle show, and also the Supermoto race. Other than that, and seeing the Marshall Tucker Band, he'd left himself pretty wide open.

They got to the huge campground and it was packed with RV's and tent campers, and the lady at the registration desk told him the cabins had been booked out since the day after he'd made his reservation.

The crowd seemed overall to be pretty nice folks, mostly regular people who loved motorcycles, just like him. But there were definitely some unsavory types, and as he and Beth walked around the campground, just checking out the place, he kept his arm protectively around her shoulders.

Lots of folks engaged them in conversation, asking where they were from and if they'd been to the rally before, that type of thing, and he and Beth both enjoyed the comradery of the mass of people.

But he was suspicious of the guys who were staying in the cabin next to theirs. There was a guy that looked to be in his mid 50s, with a snap front embroidered western shirt and a head of gray hair. He'd introduced himself to them as Joe, and his buddy as Len.

Daryl saw the way Len leered at Beth, and he knew she'd seen it too by the way she'd almost completely pressed herself into him, as he tightened his arm around her. And then the asshole said to Daryl, "I might just have ta claim that vest. I like dem Angel Wings." And Daryl didn't respond, he'd just given him a look like he wished the wormy bastard would try.

When they were back in their cabin Daryl said to her, "I don't think I'ma be okay with leaving ya here alone Beth. Yer gonna have to stick with me girl. I ain't happy about that sleazy bastard next door. I don't got a lot planned, and we'll do whatever activities ya like, but it just don't feel good ta me."

"I'm fine with that Daryl. That guy gave me a bad case of the creeps." And he swore she shuddered at the thought of him.

By the fourth day Daryl had to admit to himself, he was pretty much over it. He'd seen the things he wanted to see, he felt like he'd experience the high points. He'd also seen terrible low points, fatal bike accidents, drug deals going down, and drunken brawling. He was most appalled by the way some of the bikers treated the young women, like they were property, and even meant to be shared.

As Beth was inside the cabin getting ready, and he was out front packing the saddle bags with their stuff, that sleazy creep from next door had actually said to him, "I seen ya like the young ones, they're the most fun ta pass around."

And that was all it took, Daryl decked him. The noise had brought Beth to the door of their cabin and she was looking out nervously. Before Len could get up, Joe was between him and Daryl, "Now boys, let's calm down. No need to fight. Len, it seems Daryl isn't interested in sharing his trim, you're gonna have to look elsewhere."

And that bastard Len just laughed.

Daryl and Beth finished up their packing, and he couldn't wait to get on the bike and get her the hell out of there.

Rapid City was only a 30 minute ride away, and he'd made reservations for a couple of nights at a nice hotel, he figured that would be a good change.

Beth apologized to him that they'd had to leave Sturgis. "I'm so sorry Daryl, I know if it wasn't for having me with you, you would have stayed."

"Nah, I was ready ta go Beth. I had good times, but that's way too many people for me. I saw and did what I wanted to see and do. I'm ready ta move on." And he pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head.

And all she could think was, I'm going to miss you so bad Daryl Dixon.

They checked into the hotel, put their things in the room and got back on the bike. It was still early and they'd decided to make the drive over to Custer State Park and see the Crazy Horse Memorial. Daryl was enjoying the western history and the Indian art displays, but Beth's heart was heavy. She planned to tell him tomorrow after he got to see Mt Rushmore. Originally she thought she'd stay with him through the Badlands, but she just knew she couldn't and shouldn't stay any longer. She'd done enough damage.

They had a fun evening having a couple of beers and eating dinner at the Firehouse Brewing Company, and when they got back to the room she'd let him make love to her again, even though she knew in her heart it was wrong, and she wasn't being fair to him. But she also knew it would be the last time, and she just couldn't help herself.

And then the unthinkable had happened, he'd said it, "I love you Beth."

And she was unable to respond in any way.

He took it to mean she just wasn't feeling it yet, and he was strangely okay with that. She'd been his constant companion, they'd had a blast together and she'd let him make love to her many times. He felt like they were on solid ground.

The next morning they headed to Mt. Rushmore. He loved the museum, and the mountain was majestic. When she was in the bathroom he bought a necklace she'd admired made of black hills gold. He thought he'd surprise her with it later that night.

They got back to the hotel and got a table in the bar. Their drinks had just been delivered when she said to him, "Daryl, it's time, I have to tell you, I'm not going to Georgia. I'm so sorry, I just can't do it. I can't leave home, can't leave my family, I care about you more than you can imagine, but I just can't."

And he didn't say anything, he stood, laid some money down on the table to cover the cost of the drinks, and put the extra room key in front of her. As he turned to walk away she said, "Daryl, wait."

He turned back around, pointed at her and said, "Stay."

He asked at the desk where the bus station was located, got on the bike and rode over. He bought her a ticket to Rock Springs, WY for first thing the next morning. He drove back to the hotel and parked the bike, and then walked to a quiet little bar just down the street.

He ordered a double Jack neat with a beer back, and he called Merle.

He told him the whole story, how they'd met, the things that had happened along their way, he even admitted to Merle that he'd told her he loved her. And then he told Merle what she'd said today.

And Merle said, "Damn baby brother, ya deserve better than that. I could get on my bike right now and be there in two days, ride home with ya."

And he told him, "Nah, thanks brother, I'ma try ta get a night's sleep, then I'ma haul ass home. Should be there in three days or less. Way I'm feelin', I just wanna get home and get back ta work."

And Merle talked to him a little about what had been going on at the shop, mostly just trying to get his brother's mind off of this gal. Daryl had always been the good one, and he couldn't stand to think of his baby brother hurting.

He had one more double and one more beer and walked back to the room.

She was sitting on the bed and he could tell she'd been crying. He reached into the inside pocket of his vest, pulled out the ticket, tossed it on the bed next to her and said, "I'll take ya to the bus stop in the morning', I figured yer brother could come for ya in Rock Springs. That was the best trip I could get ya."

And he sat down in a chair in the corner. And she said to him, "I'm so sorry Daryl, I didn't want to hurt you, I just can't do it. But I still want to be friends and we can call and text, even email and stuff."

And he looked at her, and he stood, shook his head and in a voice that sounded so angry and so harsh, he said to her, "What the fuck are you talkin' about Beth? You fuckin' nuts? I told ya I fuckin' loved you, I was gonna take ya home ta live with me, support ya, marry ya, whatever the fuck you wanted, and now I know, all this time you was just leading me on. Enjoying a nice ride around the mountains, and while I was makin' love to you, you was just fuckin' the dumbass redneck for sport. I'ma take ya to that bus station in the mornin', make sure ya get on that gray dog okay, then I'm gonna get on my bike and get my ass back ta Georgia. I don't want ya callin' me, or textin' me or emailin' me. I'ma make it my personal mission ta forget I ever even knew ya." And he left the room.

She couldn't believe what he'd said, what he thought of her, but the truth was, she could understand. She deserved it and so much worse.

She didn't know when she'd fallen asleep, and she didn't know when he'd gotten back, but he was in his sleeping bag on the floor. She tried to be as quiet as possible making her way to the bathroom where she got herself ready to go. When she came back out, he was rolling his sleeping bag and he didn't even look at her before he went in the bathroom.

She heard the shower running and when he came out he was dressed and ready to go.

"Ya ready? Yer bus leaves in an hour." And those were the last words she would hear him speak.

She just nodded her head.

And she got on the bike behind him, but she didn't wrap her arms around him like she always had, instead she just held onto the sides of his vest.

He pulled into a convenience store and when he came out he handed her a sack. He'd bought her two bottles of water, a cold sandwich and some chips. As pissed off as he was at her, he still thought about what she needed. And she knew she was letting the nicest man in the world get away.

He watched as she got on the bus, and she looked out the window and waved at him, but he just turned around, walked to his bike, got on and rode away.

And the older woman seated next to her said, "Why did you leave him sweetheart?"

And Beth just answered, "I don't even know."

Then she told the woman, whose name she didn't even know, the whole story. She didn't leave any of it out. It was like a huge confession, or a cleansing, and the woman just listened.

And as they pulled into Rock Springs the older woman just looked at her and said, "I'm sorry Honey, I see your heart is breaking, but I have to agree with Daryl, you're fucking nuts."

 **A/N I agree with Daryl and the older woman. This was a hard one to write. Please don't be mad. I'm just telling the story the way it happened. Thank you for reading, please review xo**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N Thanks so much for all the response. I thought I'd better get this posted for you sooner, rather than later. I would say 75% of you were mad at Beth, 25% were mad at Daryl, and 100% were sad, including me. So, all we can do now is see f we can get this ship back in the water!**

 _Beth_

Shawn was waiting when she stepped off the bus in Rock Springs. He only needed one look at her to know she was having a very bad day.

He gave her a quick hug and said, "Welcome home." She burst into tears.

He had no idea what to say, but he tried, "I didn't really know Daryl, but he seemed like a nice guy, was he mean to you or something?"

And shit, she started crying harder and choked out, "No he's the nicest person I've ever known."

"Oh, so he broke it off with you?" He asked.

"No he told me he loved me and wanted me to go with him," She was snuffling, crying and hiccuping.

Shawn decided it was probably best if he just shut the hell up and let his wife and mother try to deal with her.

They got back to the ranch and she barely acknowledged anyone, just ran up to her room, threw herself on her bed and cried herself to sleep.

Her mom slipped in the room, covered her, and assumed they'd talk it out in the morning.

They didn't. Beth didn't want to talk. She spent the day on her horse Nellie and didn't come in until just before dark.

Amy went up to her room, knocked on the door but didn't wait for an answer, she walked right in. "Beth, everybody is worried about you. Obviously you're very upset. Did this Daryl guy do something to you? You have to tell us. Should we be calling the Sheriff or a doctor? Please tell me."

And Beth just looked at her and said, "It wasn't him, it's my own fault, I threw everything away. I'm so dumb."

And Amy didn't know what to say, she just hugged her sister in law and said, "I'm so sorry Beth, but I know you'll get over this and there's a another guy out there for you. Now please, come down and have dinner with the family, we've all missed you."

Beth nodded, started for the bathroom to feshen up and remembered her favorite hairbrush was in the backpack, she hadn't even bothered to unpack yet.

She opened the side pocket and saw a small box, opened it and screamed, "No!" And Amy rushed back up the stairs.

Beth was stunned, and then the tears came again.

Amy took the little box from her hand, thinking it must be something awful, but no, it was a beautiful heart shaped pendant and chain of Black Hills gold. Inside the lid was written, "Love you always, Daryl."

Beth's heart had been broken, but now it was shattered. Amy said, "You need to share what happened, what's going on so we can help you, comfort you."

But Beth just couldn't bring herself to tell it all again, and she certainly wasn't going to tell her parents about having sex with Daryl. Even if they suspected, that was different than telling them.

xxxx

It had been a week and Hershel was at his wit's end, "Annette, what are you going to do about your daughter? This is getting ridiculous."

Annette spun around hand on her hip, "How come any time there's a problem, they're my kids, and when all is well they're your kids?"

And Hershel smiled at her and admitted, "Because you handle trouble better than I do."

And she laughed and said, "Okay, but this is going to cost you because I'm about to call in the reinforcements, so dust off that wallet!"

His eyebrows raised, "Maggie?"

She smiled, "Yep, Maggie."

She called her daughter and then went online and booked the flight. Shawn would be picking up another sister, this one at the airport in Jackson Hole, tomorrow morning.

 _Daryl_

He had wanted to hug her one last time but instead, he punished her and he punished himself and he turned away from her and never looked back. And he was so fucking miserable.

Rather than riding for 10 or 12 hours like he'd planned, he pulled up in Sioux Falls, SD, got himself a real crappy motel room to match his real crappy mood and walked to the closest dive bar.

He didn't want to drink anywhere where people were friendly and talkative. He was on a mission to drown memories of her and he sure as hell didn't want to chat about it.

He got his double Jack and his beer back, and he sat at a table in the corner. He called Merle just to hear a semi-friendly voice.

"Whereyat Little Brother?" Merle asked.

"Only got ta Sioux Falls. Decided I needed ta do some serious drinkin'."

"I see, gonna solve yer problems the Dixon way, huh? Do that tonight, but then get yer ass on that bike and get back home boy. Ya got a family, a business and friends here." Merle knew Daryl was in pain, but knew his brother would be much better off if he wasn't alone.

"I know Brother. Just need ta get shitfaced tanight, I'll be hittin' that highway hard after that." Daryl sighed.

"I know kid, just don't like ta think yer all alone, hurtin' and what not. When ya get home I'ma feel a whole lot better. Ya sure ya don't want me ta come over there?" Merle was worried.

"Nah, I'll text ya from wherever I end up tomorrow night. Thanks Merle." And he pushed the off button and started drinking like he was getting paid to do it.

::::::

Carol came up behind him, wrapped her arms around him and asked, "Have you told your brother yet?"

And Merle said, "Nah Sweetheart, didn't wanna tell him on the phone, gonna tell him when he gets home. Now how 'bout a little lovin' for yer man."

::::::

It didn't matter that he didn't want to think about her, she was all he could think about. He knew he shouldn't have just expected her to leave her home and her family for him, and he knew he shouldn't have said some of the things he said to her when he was angry, but why, why had she done the things she'd done?

Christ above, she'd been a virgin for 23 years, why had she given it up ta him? Fuck, that was the one thing that had convinced him she loved him. And when she'd held him the way she did, when she whispered his name, he felt it. What had gone wrong?

Well it didn't make a hill a beans worth of difference now, he was just gonna drive himself crazy thinkin' about it. She didn't love him, she wasn't movin' ta Georgia, and he was gonna have ta just learn ta deal with it.

And he drank on that.

The next morning when he woke up and his brain was pounding itself against his skull, and his mouth was dry as sandpaper, and his stomach felt like there was a hockey game goin' on in there, he knew he'd earned every bit of that shit.

He took a cold shower, walked to the café across the street and went a little easy on himself, oatmeal and an English muffin. That, and about a gallon of water, four aspirin and a pot of coffee.

He felt like shit, he couldn't stop thinking about her, and he had a long ass drive ahead of him, it was gonna be the perfect day.

 _Beth_

Shawn got back to the ranch with Maggie at noon. She quickly kissed her Mom and Dad, hugged Amy and the kids and went up to Beth's room.

She threw the door open, "Get your jeans and your boots on NOW, and you'd better bring a jacket, we're going for a ride."

And Beth couldn't help herself, she smiled and said, "Yes Maggie, whatever you say m'am."

Maggie rushed back down to the kitchen, told her Mom she was taking Beth out to check the fences and they weren't coming back until she'd told Maggie everything.

When Beth came down the stairs Maggie said, "Okay, you're it, go saddle-up Nellie and Smokey, and get the stuff, we're checking the fence line." And Beth didn't argue.

Maggie had always been a force to be reckoned with in her life.

Maggie and her mom packed up sandwiches and energy bars, a Thermos jug of water, and two bottles of wine. "We'll probably spend the night up at that old tie-hack shack. It's pretty good shelter. So don't expect us home until sometime tomorrow." And she hugged her mom real tight and said, "Don't worry mom, at least we'll find out what the hell's the matter."

And her mom said, "I know you can do it Maggie, if anyone can. And watch your language."

That made them both laugh. Everyone knew Maggie had a lot of fire.

::::::

"Okay good, you've got the bedrolls, and do you have your side arm?" Beth nodded.

"Okay, I'll bring a rifle too, just in case of bear or wolves. Now let's get out of here, we have work to do!"

And that's when Beth said, "You know Maggie, Otis just spent two days this week riding the fence line."

"Well good, because I always hated mending fences, now let's go."

The thing about checking a fence line is you have to go slow, you have to check for hell sake, that makes it perfect for girl talk.

"So Beth, before we get into any ugly stuff, tell me about the trip, the sightseeing part, what did you see?"

And Beth told her about all their stops and all of the fun and beautiful things they'd seen.

"Gee, that sounds wonderful Beth. Now, tell me about Daryl. What kind of man is he? I hear he's older than you, in his 30's, mom said he's kind of hunky, ha! I have to tell dad that one, and I hear he has his own business and a real nice motorcycle. Now you tell me what we don't know."

And Beth told her how good he'd been to her. What a gentleman he'd been, how she never really had to do anything, how he'd paid for everything. She told Maggie about his scars, about his business and his success, his shyness and occasional awkwardness. She told Maggie about her fall and the way he'd taken care of her, including paying the hospital bill, and she told her about the morning she woke up to her period and Daryl went to the drug store to get her tampons.

And Maggie said, "Whoa, stop right there sister. The hunk went to the drug store and bought you tampons? Oh my God Beth, the only other man I know willing to do that is Glenn! Okay, sorry, continue."

Beth couldn't help but smile, Maggie always had that effect on her, even when they were fighting, Maggie had a way. But then her mood quickly turned melancholy as she continued telling her sister about Daryl. And she didn't hold back, she knew Maggie was never going to tell anyone else what they'd discussed. Maggie had many good, and many bad traits, but Maggie was no blabbermouth. She kept what you told her to herself.

And although she didn't tell Maggie what had happened, she told her that even at the end, when he was so angry with her and so hurt, he still bought her a bus ticket, food and water for the trip, and got her safely on the bus, just before he left. And that's when she started to cry.

And Maggie said, "You know, it looks to me like Otis did a fine job as always. Let's ride up to the tie-hack shack and set-up for the night, we'll find some firewood and have a real nice campfire. I haven't camped out in a year."

The wine was open, the drinking began, but Maggie was sipping slow, letting her sister drink the bulk of the wine so she'd tell the rest of the story. And it worked, just like Maggie knew it would. Maggie was surprised by a lot of it, but didn't say anything. She'd wait until morning, when Beth was sober.

 _Daryl_

Daryl did bust ass the rest of the way home. He arrived at his cabin two days after leaving Sioux Falls. It had been the longest 1200 miles of his life, and he'd never been more happy to be home. One thing would have made it perfect, but he was desperately trying not to think about her.

He texted Merle, "Made it to the cabin. Gonna shower and hit the sack for about 24 hours, then you come over, let's grill some steaks and have a drink. K?"

And Merle beeped right back, "Sounds perfect Little Brother. Glad you're home. Just let me know."

And Daryl showered and he got in his bed, and then his mind betrayed him. It didn't matter that he was physically and emotionally exhausted; he couldn't stop thinking about Beth. Her sweetness, and her sassiness, her tenderness and her soft touch, all of it. He wanted her here with him so desperately, but she'd made up her mind, she didn't want him. And he knew he'd always love her, and he knew it didn't matter to her. And tears filled his eyes and after a good cry, sleep finally came.

He woke up 14 hours later, at 11am. He texted Merle, "4 o'clock, my place?" And Merle texted right back, "See you then, I'll bring the Jack and the beer."

Merle told Carol the deal, and like he knew she would, she said, "Okay, I think it's good. I'll drive you over. I know you're going to get tanked, so either call me later tonight, or in the morning. I'll be by to get you," And she gave him a big kiss. It was one of the many things he loved about this woman, she understood life.

Daryl got his things put away, did some wash, cleaned up his bike, and opted to take the truck into town. His ass was tired of that bike.

He bought groceries for the week and called it good. He went back home and took a little nap on the couch until Merle showed up.

They got a fire going in the big fire pit he'd built out front. Daryl brought out the solo cups, and they got to drinkin'. Merle had come well-armed, with a 5th of Jack for each of them, and a case of beer. They were about to cleanse their hearts and souls, Dixon style, and they'd need a little Tennessee medication to do that.

After they'd each had a shot and a beer, Merle got to it, "So tell me brother, tell me about her, tell me what the fuck happened. I ain't goin' nowhere 'til ya get this shit out."

He was honest with Merle because really, who else did he have? As big and loud and ornery as Merle could be, he knew Merle loved him, cared about him, and he knew his brother had been worried, and it was good to know that someone gave a shit about him and his feelings. And Daryl told him, beginning with how he'd walked in the bar and seen her there and just knew, he was a goner for her. And he told Merle every detail he could remember from that moment until the moment she'd gotten on that bus, waved at him and he'd just turned around and rode off.

And Merle never said a word, that's right, Merle didn't interrupt him even once, he just listened. And when Daryl was done, Merle let out a deep sigh and said, "I'm real sorry ya got hurt in this way. I know ya never had feelin's for a gal before, I know this cuts deep. From this side a the fence, seems ta me ya both carry fault. I'ma start with pickin' on you, then we're gonna talk about what I think she done wrong. Ya shoulda thought about what a big move this was gonna be for her, and she's a real young woman, ain't never been more than a stone's throw from mama and daddy, and yer gonna ask her ta move ta Bumfuck Georgia and live in a cabin in the woods after knowing ya for three weeks. Maybe when she said she wasn't comin' ya shoulda took a deep breath, and a minute ta think, and ya shoulda ask her if she'd like ta come for a visit, check the place out, see yer cabin, see yer business, meet yer friends n yer family. If she liked it okay, she could keep comin' for a visit n see if she decided she loved ya enough ta pick up stakes n start a new life with ya here in beautiful downtown Bumfuck."

"Now, for Beth's part, I for the life a me can't figure why she even decided ta go with ya. She wasn't in it for the sex, at least not at first. Daddy seems willin' ta sponsor her pretty damn good, so if she just wanted ta take a trip she coulda got the coin from him and took off with a friend. That's the long way a sayin', she musta liked ya. Damn boy, ya found ya a 23 year old virgin, shit, seems like a pretty rare thing, and she let ya be her first, after knowin' ya less than two weeks. Yeah, I'd say that would make most any man think she was at least startin' ta fall in love. And she kept up havin' sex with ya right 'til the end, and she didn't let onta ya durin' this whole trip that she was thinkin' she wasn't gonna come with ya, and I got a pretty strong suspicion she knew she wasn't from back before she ever let ya take her virginity."

"Ya know, I ain't never been successful with much, but I seen a lot of life, and it always seems when things go wrong between a woman and a man it's cuz they didn't talk about stuff, n they forgot ta stop n think."

And the big man got up, walked over in front of his brother's chair, squatted down, rubbed Daryl's head, moved his hand to his Daryl's cheek and said, "I'm real, real sorry. Ya know I want ya ta be happy. It's a damn shame this didn't work out for ya."

Daryl hadn't said a word, had just hung his head, but now he nodded and said, "Thanks Merle, I know I fucked up, I ain't blamin' her really, but damn, I ain't never had a broken heart n it hurts. I ain't never gonna have another though, that was my first and last try at this romance novel shit."

"Don't say never Daryl, ya don't know that. I got news ta tell ya. Ya know my neighbor Carol, the gal I was seeing? Well, I hadn't let on, cuz I didn't know where it was goin' exactly, but we was gettin' kinda serious, soon I wanted her ta move in with me, but I kept thinkin' maybe that wouldn't be right, she's got a 12 year old daughter n all, don't want the kid thinkin' we's doin' somethin' wrong, n I love Carol, n she loves me, so couple weeks ago we just went down ta the courthouse one afternoon n we got married. I'm 50 years old, ain't never been serious about a woman ever. Now I got me a wife an a daughter an I ain't never been happier. Someday you'll find yer happiness Little Brother."

"Nah Merle, Beth was it for me. But congratulations man, that's great, I can't wait ta meet my new sister n niece. In the meantime, I'm gonna get as fuckin' ugly drunk as I possibly can."

And Merle chuckled a bit, but then he said, "I'ma go along with that tanight Daryl, but then we're gonna cool the drinkin' stuff. It's plenty a fun once in a while, but ya don't wanna end up like the ol' man, a fuckin' addlebrained, no account drunk."

 _Beth_

Riding back along the fence line Maggie asked her, "Beth, if you already felt you weren't interested in going back to Georgia with Daryl, then why in the world would you have sex with him, I mean, I could understand it if you were the kind of girl who'd been around a little, like I was," and she laughed at herself, "But for hell sake, a 23 year old virgin, what the fuck?"

Beth took a deep breath, "I already knew I loved him Maggie. I knew what kind of person he is. I knew he'd be loving, and gentle and thoughtful with me, that he wouldn't be taking advantage. And I knew he loved me, I could tell. And I wanted to at least have sex one time with the man I knew I was going to love forever."

Maggie stopped her horse, looked at her sister, and in true Maggie fashion, she called it as she saw it, "Beth, that is the dumbest fucking thing I have ever heard. If you love him, he loves you, and obviously the man treated you like a damn queen, why the hell wouldn't you just go back to Georgia with him?"

Beth stopped her horse, "I don't know Maggie, I think I was just scared. I was afraid of the change, I was afraid I'd disappoint him, I was afraid I'd get there and it wouldn't be real anymore."

"You know Beth, when I left with Glenn I had a lot of those thoughts too. But damn, why throw away the opportunity to spend the rest of your life with the person you love? That's just crazy. What do you think Daryl would do if you just showed up next week?"

And a plan was born.

They got back to the ranch, and had a wonderful family dinner. Maggie spent a week enjoying ranch life with her dad and mom, Beth, Shawn, Amy and her niece and nephew.

xxxx

He'd thrown himself into his work. He was grateful to be so busy. He could almost forget about her for a few hours a day. He was going in early and going home late. When he wasn't working, he was fishing or hiking in the woods.

Except for his broken heart and a state of depression, he was doing just great.

xxxx

They were in the air, Atlanta bound. "You know, Atlanta is a whole lot closer to Michigan than Pinedale is. We'll be able to visit a lot more often. And actually, Glenn's been talking about moving south, he's getting sick of those long snowy winters. When you get settled I'll bring him for a visit, maybe we can convince him," Maggie smiled.

"But what if Daryl totally rejects me Maggie?"

Maggie squeezed her hand, "Then you'll come home with me for a few days and we'll drink every bottle of wine in Michigan."

Maggie had booked herself a full day layover, she rented a car, got the road map and the GPS, and they figured out how to get to Daryl's business. They arrived at "Daryl's Custom Cabinetry and Woodwork" at two in the afternoon.

Merle had just walked into the front office to give Jacqui the man hours on their latest job when Beth and Maggie walked in the front door. Maggie hung back while Beth shyly stepped to the desk, before she could speak Merle said, "Beth Greene?" He recognized her from all the pictures Daryl had sent.

Beth recognized him as well, Daryl's brother Merle. "Yes, hello Merle."

Jacqui just pretended to be typing away on the computer.

Merle looked at Beth hard, "Ya come ta stay or just ta play girl."

He could see tears form immediately in the young woman's eyes, then the other woman came over, got right in his face and said, "Knock it off buster, no need to be an asshole."

And Merle laughed, "Damn, yer a sassy one. Sorry little gal," now he was looking at Beth, "Daryl's my baby brother, I'm a little protective."

And Maggie said, "Well Beth is my baby sister and I'm a little over protective."

And they smiled at each other, Merle stuck out his hand, "Merle Dixon."

Maggie shook his hand and said, "Maggie Rhee."

And just then, Daryl came in the office wiping his hands on a red shop rag.

It looked like his jaw was going to hit the floor. Merle thought fast, "C'mon Maggie, I'll give ya a tour a the shop, Jacqui, you c'mon along too." And just that fast, they were gone.

They just looked at each other for a minute, and then she spoke, "I made a big mistake Daryl, I never should have done what I did, I do love you, I was just so afraid."

"Well it wasn't all you Beth, I was definitely wrong ta keep pressuring you. I'm real sorry. I love you too Beth. I been miserable without ya, I can't tell ya any different."

They'd been slowly moving closer to each other, and finally they embraced. They held each other tightly and neither spoke, until finally she said, "If your offer is still good, maybe I could stay with you a while. We could see if we can make it work. We can have a fresh start."

"Sounds perfect baby, just perfect."

 **A/N Phew! Well I feel better, and I hope you do too. We'll check in to see how they're doing real soon. Thank you so much for reading, please review xo**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N Thank you all so much! Well, we got through the reunion, let's see if we can make this thing work! This chapter is heavy on the fluff, and a little bit sexy. I hope you enjoy.**

Maggie and Merle walked back in the office just as the couple moved apart.

Maggie asked him, "Daryl do you think there's time for me to see your place before I go back to Atlanta? I'd like to see where my sister will be staying." Her smile was warm and friendly.

"Umm, yeah, sure, I can drive ya out there, then bring ya back here ta get the rental car. Yer a lot closer to the freeway over here."

Daryl was kind of hoping Merle would be coming too, you know, for moral support, but his brother said, "Well I'ma have ta say my goodbyes now Maggie, my wife and daughter are expectin' me home for dinner. Nice ta meet ya and have a safe trip back home." Daryl wondered when he'd get used to Merle talking about his wife and daughter.

They got to his place and he took a deep breath. Sure he wanted Maggie to like it, but what really mattered to him was that Beth like it, maybe even love it, just like he did. He was proud of the place, proud of the work he'd done on it, proud of his designs, and especially proud it was his, bought and paid for. But it reflected _his_ taste, maybe she wouldn't think it was quite as perfect as he thought it was, shit he had no idea what women like.

When Maggie remarked, "My gosh Daryl this is beautiful, the cabinetry, the floors, everything is just awesome. Did you build it?" He was pretty relieved, but also oddly embarrassed. He wasn't always comfortable with praise.

He looked down at first, then he remembered himself, looked her in the eye and said, "Yeah, was sumthin' I always dreamed a doin', buildin' my own place and makin' it special." And he spoke with confidence but Maggie and Beth both noticed how red his neck got.

Beth was thinking it was the most beautiful cabin she'd ever seen, she loved all of it, the big front porch, the huge back porch, and everything in between.

Maggie was feeling relieved that she was leaving her sister in a nice place, and with someone who seemed to be a genuinely good guy, and as a bonus, he was neat as a pin. Damn, she was thinking she'd been falling down on the job and needed to get home and clean house.

Daryl and Beth took her back to the shop, he made sure she had good directions to the airport, he retrieved Beth's small suitcase from the car's trunk, and told Maggie he honestly hoped she'd come again real soon.

He watched the sisters hug tightly, and he knew this was a tough moment for Beth, shit it had been hard to leave Merle behind when he went on his road trip.

When they got back to the cabin he mentioned her lack of things, "Ya didn't bring much stuff Beth," he had a definite nervous tone to his voice.

"I didn't know how you'd feel when you saw me, if you'd want me to leave. I just brought things for a few days. I thought I might end up going back to Michigan with Maggie for a visit, and then home. I have the plane tickets, I'll need to call Mom and tell her to cancel."

"Yer Mama paid for ya ta come here?" He wasn't used to this parent thing, and why would her Mama pay to send her off to some guy so far away?

She looked down shyly, and he could see the color rise in her cheeks. "I was so sad, I was miserable Daryl, I think they were sick of seeing me cry all the time, so when Maggie said she'd bring me here, they couldn't wait to buy the tickets," and she laughed nervously.

He couldn't resist putting his arms around her, "Well yer here now, and damn girl, ya know I want ya here, but where do we start Beth?"

"I'm not sure Daryl, but I think just like we did, by saying we love each other. And I think we need to promise to talk to each other about things, instead of holding them in. And I think I need to learn all about your property, and your town, the area, and try to find a job, so I can feel like Georgia is my home," She smiled at him and those big blue eyes were drawing him in.

"I think that all sounds real good Beth, just right. Get a job doin' sumthin' ya love, that's what I have, and that makes ya feel happy ta do the work. 'Course, it was easy for me, I fell into my business, and it couldn't have worked out better." He didn't really care if she worked or not, but he knew if she didn't, she'd soon become bored with life in the woods, 'specially with him gone so much.

"What do ya like ta do, Beth? If you could just choose?" He figured that's where you start.

"That's part of the problem Daryl, I've never been able to decide. I love horses, I guess you know that," She smiled at him, "But that isn't a job."

"Well maybe it could be, we got a real nice stables not too far from here. They breed horses, but they also board horses, train horses and train riders in all types of riding, and they got just recreational stuff like trail rides, all kinds of stuff ta do with horses. They could probably use someone like you who knows a lot about all that." He shrugged. "I tell ya what, you take it easy tomorrow, get used to the time change and all, and then Wednesday mornin' I don't have any appointments lined up first thing, I'll drive ya over there, I can just wait in the truck while ya talk to 'em and stuff."

"Really Daryl?!" She was excited now. "That sounds so perfect. Thank you so much!" And she hugged him tightly around the waist.

He chuckled softly and said, "Don't thank me yet girl, they're liable ta give ya a job muckin' out stalls."

"Hey, I've done plenty of that, and at least it would be a start!"

That was the easy part of the conversation; from there they talked about how things had gone wrong for them back in South Dakota. They each owned up to their part in it, and then they vowed to move forward, learn from that, and not lay blame. It was time to start fresh, that was what they both wanted.

Eventually, it happened, bedtime. Both were nervous, but Daryl spoke first. "I missed sleeping with ya Beth. I got use ta having ya with me, holdin' ya at night. Was one a the toughest things for me, not bein' able ta hold ya. But if we're startin' over, and ya don't wanna share the bed yet, I get it, I can sleep in the spare room."

She smiled at him, "Are you kidding me Daryl? Oh my gosh, I've missed you so much, I missed your strong arms holding me tight, being so protective, I missed waking up in your arms. It was one of the hardest things for me. My Teddy Bear just couldn't handle that job!" And her smile grew.

"We won't have ta decide about any other touchin' yet, I ain't got nuthin' ta protect ya with. Didn't think I's gonna need any a that stuff. Don't keep nuthin' around here, I ain't never had another woman here Beth." He looked down, shrugged his shoulders and she saw that neck turn red again, and she knew her own cheeks were flushed.

"Well Daryl, I guess we don't have to worry about it, Maggie gave me a whole sack of those things and told me if I got pregnant she was going to kick my ass," And embarrassed as she was, she couldn't help but laugh.

Daryl just smiled took her hand, lead her to the bedroom and said, "I like Maggie more all the time."

He was in bed when she walked out of the bathroom in her robe, she slipped it off and he saw she was naked. They smiled at one another, and he flipped the bedside lamp off when she'd slipped in the bed.

He spoke quietly, "Ya know Beth, maybe we should hold off on this stuff, if we're startin' over n all."

And she playfully pushed his shoulder, "Not a chance Mister Dixon, I've missed you way too much. Besides, we are starting over, with everything else, just not this."

He laughed softly as he moved his arms around her and said, "I love you, ya crazy girl."

And she squeezed him tightly and whispered, "Oh Daryl, you have no idea how much I love you."

"See there, yer crazy, ya love an old redneck," He was only half kidding.

"Don't you say that Daryl, no one deserves love more than you, please don't discount yourself."

With that, he began kissing her deeply and it was like they'd been starving for each other. He couldn't seem to pull her close enough to him, he'd missed the feel of her so much. She was already whimpering when he moved his hand to her breast and began to gently pinch her nipples, he moved his mouth to her other breast, and she threw her leg over his hip, he moved his thigh high between her legs, putting a little pressure on that sweet spot. "Oh my gawd Daryl," she whispered, and that spurred him on. He started kissing his way down her rib cage, and across her tummy while continuing to tease her breasts with his fingers, he moved her legs apart, slid down between them, and began to stroke her pussy with his tongue. She let out a loud moan, and then relaxed into it. She had her legs spread apart, knees up and feet flat on the mattress. She thought he was working some kind of magic on her and her back was arching, he had a hand on each of her hips and when they started to lift from the bed, he gently kept her firm to the mattress. She was moaning and calling his name when he reached with one hand and began to play with a breast. He could tell she was getting close and he concentrated on that sensitive little sweet spot. She came hard calling his name and the sound of that thrilled him.

He moved up next to her, she kissed him and asked, "Oh my gosh Daryl, that was so good. Should I do that for you?"

He smiled and said, "Not this time Beth, I wanna get inside." And she grabbed the packet from the night table and opened it for him. She asked, "Can I?" And he smiled, "Oh hell yes Baby, please."

He moved her on top of him and she lifted her hips while he guided himself into her. They both let out a moan as he entered her. He lifted his hips up from the bed, while he used his hands to push her hips down to meet his, he held her there, hands remaining clasped on her hips while she moved on top of him. The friction it created got them both excited. When he couldn't hold the position any longer, he moved his hands to her breasts. He was tweaking her nipples as he pulled his upper body into an almost seated position, sucking on her breast while moving a hand to her low back, continuing to press her into him. He whispered, "Damn Beth, ya feel so good, make me wanna come." And with the feel of him, and the movement and those words, she couldn't hold back and she came again.

When she did he rolled them over as one, and began pumping into her while whispering in her ear, "Damn, baby I been wantin' ya so much, and ya just feel so good," And when he came she could swear he growled.

They fell back on the bed breathless, wet with perspiration and feeling well satisfied.

"Now that was fun Beth, but dammit, yer not s'posed ta wear me out like this, I gotta work in the mornin'," And he laughed, rolled back over to lean above her, kissed her, and said, "I do love ya."

She said, "That was the most amazing thing ever Daryl, I love you so much, and now I'm starving."

He started laughing at that and said, 'Shit, ya got me all distracted and I forgot ta make dinner."

xxxx

Even with the time zone change, she was up early the next morning cooking him breakfast. "Ya know ya ain't gotta do that girl, I'm perfectly capable a makin' my own breakfast."

She just smiled, "I know, I just wanted to do this for you. I do have a question though, what exactly are grits?"

"Well shit, they're what I missed every mornin' when I was out west. Folks out there, they seem ta like fried potatoes, down here, we like our grits. It's what I usually fix myself for breakfast, make 'em like porridge and add some cheese, and I like 'em for dinner with shrimp," he smiled. "They're ground from hominy, big ol' hull less dried corn. I'll cook ya some tonight, you'll see."

"Sounds good," She smiled, and she was so happy she'd come here and she leaned into him and kissed him.

"Oh man baby, don't get me started, got a meetin' in 45 minutes," But then he leaned down and kissed her deeply.

They reluctantly pulled apart and she smiled and said, "I want you to have some breakfast before you leave, it's the most important meal of the day you know." And they both smiled at that.

xxxx

She called Maggie, they were in the same time zone now. They chatted a while and Beth told her everything was great, and it was.

She took a shower, got dressed, and put a load of laundry in the wash, she hoped he didn't mind she'd mixed his with hers.

She unpacked and put her things away. The bedroom closet was huge, and nearly empty. She'd known he lived simply, but dang Daryl just didn't have much in the way of clothes. He had work shirts with his company name, and work pants, but other than that, very little. The dresser was practically empty but she'd brought so little she didn't even fill half a drawer.

She called her Mom, they'd talked about Daryl, and Beth told her she'd be staying and that she and Daryl had agreed they both wanted this to work and they were going to try hard, that it was starting out real good. She told her about Daryl suggesting she try to find work at the stables, and her Mom said she'd send her more of her things right away, her cowboy boots, spurs, chaps and work boots, and more jeans, tees and western shirts.

Mom wanted this to work. She didn't want her daughters living so far from home, but what she did want more than anything was for them to be happy.

Then she went exploring, but not too far. She came from country where there weren't any poisonous snakes, and not much for bugs, except for mosquitos and horse flies in the summer. She was a little leery here in Georgia, she was sure they had snakes, and she knew they had bugs. She was anxious for Daryl to take her out and familiarize her with it. In the meantime, she couldn't deny, it was beautiful.

She loved the setting of the cabin, she loved the cabin, and she loved Daryl. Now if she could just adjust to it all. She knew she had to be more committed than she'd been before, this wasn't just some game, or a casual hook-up. She'd made up her mind, she'd almost lost him once, she didn't want to take that chance again.

xxxx

Daryl felt so damn happy. He'd gone from thinking he'd never see her again, and he'd be alone the rest of his life, to having the woman he knew he'd love forever living in his cabin. He was also scared, what if she changed her mind? What if she high tailed it back to Wyoming tomorrow? He knew it would be a bullet to the heart he wouldn't get over, oh he'd go on, he was a survivor, but he would never be happy without her in his life. Then he reprimanded himself – think positive Dixon, you're always thinking worst case scenario.

He had a busy day, he met with three customers, two of them corporate. Then worked on designs and did some intricate inlay work on door panels for a customer in Savannah. His hands and his mind were busy, but in the back of his mind all he was thinking about was getting home to her.

Merle could see his brother was lost in thought, and he was pretty sure he knew what those thoughts were, he clapped him on the back, and tried to be encouraging, "She come a long way ta be with ya baby brother. Hopin' y'all can make it work. Ya know I'm just an old ne'r do well myself, but damn, I got lucky when Carol and Sophia come into my life. I want that kinda happiness for you. You're a good man, and ya deserve it."

xxxx

He walked in the door and she seemed real happy to see him. He'd stopped and picked up some fresh shrimp and he smiled and told her, "Girl, yer about ta have you some shrimp n grits. Let's see how ya like it."

She was impressed with his skill in the kitchen, and she loved the shrimp and grits and told him so, "Daryl that was so delicious."

"See there? Yer halfway ta bein' a southerner!" He kissed her lightly on the cheek.

xxxx

The next morning he had her at the stables at 7:00. He thought she sure looked the part. She had on her tight jeans, western belt, a snap front short sleeve western shirt, and those damn boots he knew had been all over Wyoming and South Dakota.

He had his go mug of coffee and the latest issue of Bowhunter Magazine. When she'd been in there 30 minutes he started to worry a little, seemed to him like a long time to ask about a job, but then, he'd never had to look for work.

After 45 minutes she came running towards the truck and he could tell by the look on her face she was excited. He quickly got out of the truck to open the door for her, but before he could she threw herself into his arms and the words rushed out in an excited tone, "I got a job Daryl, I got a job. I start on Monday. I can't wait, I can't wait, I'm going to train horses Daryl! I'm also going to teach young children everything about horses and riding, and give riding lessons and it's all going to be so prefect."

And he couldn't help it, he laughed and said, "Damn girl, I'm sorry yer so disappointed." And he hugged her tight.

About the time he started up the pick-up's engine, she panicked, "Oh no, how will I get there and back home? I won't work the same hours as you. I'm supposed to be there at 7:30 and I get off at 2:00."

"That's not a problem Beth, you can use this truck, and I can use either the bike, or one of the work trucks. I always use a work truck for going out on bids and stuff anyway." He hadn't missed that she called his place home, and it made him happy, he guessed he'd start thinking of it as _their_ house.

"Really, you'll trust me with your truck?" She looked surprised.

"Shit Beth, I'm trustin' ya with my heart, the truck ain't no big deal."

 **A/N Awww, there's your sugar, now go brush your teeth! Thanks so much for reading, please review xo**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N Thank you so much, you guys are the best. We're picking up right where we left off. In this chapter we're going to learn a little more about what's going on with Beth, what she's thinking and what she's feeling.**

He suddenly seemed so shy, and he looked down as he said, "Ya oughta just keep the truck today, you can drop me off at the shop, have a look around the place, n then maybe take a drive around the area, learn where stuff is in town, whatever. If yer gonna be livin' here, prolly should get a feel for it."

"That's a great idea, thanks so much Daryl. I do want to get the lay of the land. And I really want to find the grocery store, you fixed dinner last night, and it's my turn tonight."

He grabbed his wallet off the console, got the debit card out and told her, "The pin is 8893, get what ya need."

"That's okay Daryl, Dad gave me money so I could take care of myself." She smiled at him.

He wasn't going to lecture. That was for damn sure, wasn't going to tell her that if Dad gave her the money, that wasn't taking care of herself. Instead he said, "That's real nice Beth, but I'm a grown man with my own business, my own income, n a little bit a pride. I can take care a things in my own home. Ain't gonna let yer Daddy buy my groceries, long as yer with me, ain't lettin' him buy yers either. I appreciate it n all, it just ain't my way."

"Oh, okay Daryl, sure. And pretty soon, when I start my job I'll have money too, and I can buy things for us." She remembered how he'd told her he lived when he was saving money to buy his business, how he'd eaten nothing much but Ramen noodles and spam, and she did understand he liked being self-sufficient.

He smiled at her again, "Yer sweet Beth, but no, I ain't lettin' ya pay for me either. I'll buy the food n the things we need for ourselves, and for the house n property. That's my job, I can provide n I want ta provide. You spend yer money on whatever ya like, or save it in the bank." And the truck came to a stop at the shop.

She guessed she'd never dated a "grown man" because plenty of the ones she knew were happy to let the woman pay.

He opened her door and helped her from the truck. He walked her in the office with his hand resting loosely on the small of her back. Somehow she knew he was proud to have her there with him, and she knew she was proud to be with him.

"Hey ya Jacqui, you remember Beth Greene? Don't know that you two were properly introduced. Beth this is Jacqui Vance, she pretty much runs the whole joint." He smiled at the woman.

Jacqui put a hand out to her and said, "Nice to meet you Beth. I know you're new to the area, so if you need to ask a woman where the good stores are, just check in with me."

Beth smiled as she shook the woman's hand, "Nice to meet you too Jacqui, and thanks, I'm sure I'll be calling you."

Daryl took her for a walk through the shop and introduced her to his guys, keeping his hand on her low back the entire time. He saw Merle was loading up tools and led her over to him. "Hey brother, you remember Beth?"

"A course I remember Beth, I ain't that old," and he grinned ear to ear.

"Hi Merle, good to see you again," Beth smiled back, he didn't intimidate her like he did that first time.

"Glad yer both here, gotta ask ya sumthin'. Carol wants y'all ta come for dinner Saturday, 'bout five. Nuthin' fancy, just gonna prolly grill some burgers, maybe play a couple hands a Pinochle or Gin."

"Sounds good ta me, whaddya think Beth?" Daryl looked to her.

For some reason she felt so nervous about hanging out with Daryl's family, but she smiled and said, "Oh that sounds real nice, thank you so much for inviting me."

She wasn't sure shy she felt relieved when Daryl changed the subject, "What job ya on today brother?"

"Gonna tear out a kitchen at the Williams place, hoping ta get it done today, then start on the bathrooms in the mornin'. Gotta go a little slow in the kitchen though, the guy wants ta save the cabinets n countertops n install 'em in his garage. I'll keep close track a the time. What you on?"

"I'ma be workin' on the design a those luxury condos McKinley Development's gonna build in Atlanta. And I also got ta call on a homeowner right outta town here wants a kitchen and bath remodel." Beth could see how serious Daryl was when he talked about work.

She was impressed with the shop and with his business, and the more she knew him, the more impressed she was with him. He truly was the definition of a real man.

Merle looked to her, "And what about you Beth, what're ya up to today?"

"The exciting news is, I got a job this morning at the stables, I'm going to be training horses for them, and Daryl is letting me take his truck today, I'm going to explore town." She was smiling.

"A job already, that's great. Horse trainin', huh? Sounds real nice, good on you. I ain't never known little brother ta let anyone use his truck, he must kinda like ya," Merle smiled, "K, well I'ma get after it, see y'all later."

Daryl walked her back out to the truck, got a notepad and pen out of the glove box and drew her a map how to get to the store, and how to get back out to the cabin from there. He looked so concerned when he said, "Ya have any trouble at all, ya call me. I always got my cell phone with me," Then it seem he relaxed a bit as he said, "Ya have a real good day baby, I'll see ya after work."

"You have a good day too Daryl," She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

xxxx

She parked the truck on the small town's main street, deciding walking was the best way to see what was around. And she was thinking, thinking about how great Daryl had been to her, not just today, but every day ever since the first day. How special he treated her, how he'd cared for her when she got hurt, how even when she said she was leaving, and he was so heartbroken, he still bought her a ticket and food and made sure she was safe. He could have so easily told her to call her Dad or her brother.

She thought about how he was with his business, the obvious respect he garnered from his employees, he was successful in his work, but he was also a good person, it was obvious they liked him.

It had been one thing to be alone with him in places neither of them was familiar with, but this was his home, and so far she was enjoying everything about sharing this part of his life.

She loved the town. It was quite a bit bigger than Pinedale, but not overwhelming. There were so many quaint shops, little eateries and even a lovely music shop. She supposed Daryl wasn't the kind of guy who spent much time downtown shopping, but that was okay, she didn't mind shopping alone, in fact she preferred it, she could just take her time, stroll and really enjoy.

There were several little things she wanted to buy, but she resisted, thinking about what he said. She'd wait until she'd earned her own money. Maybe she was growing up a little.

She made her way back to the truck, and managed to find the grocery where she bought enough to last them a few days. She'd sat through a lot of meals with Daryl, and she knew he had simple tastes, he was pretty much an All-American meat and potatoes man, which was perfect, because that's how she'd been raised, and that's the kind of food she knew how to cook.

She found her way back to the cabin, no problem, but she knew he was probably worried about her, so she sent a quick text, "Walked around town, did the grocery shopping, and managed to find my way home. See you soon! xo"

The phone beeped with his message, "Thanks for letting me know. See you soon Beth xo"

He had a beautiful kitchen, it was obvious the love and care he'd put into building it. She was sure the cabinets had every special feature ever invented, including her favorite, roll out shelves. The appliances were all top of the line, and he had plenty of really nice cooking equipment.

She smiled at some of the equipment he had, things you don't see in everyone's kitchen, a commercial grade meat grinder and meat slicer, sausage making equipment, and a dehydrator she'd bet money he used to make venison jerky.

She was thinking it was going to be a lot of fun when they brought home fresh game, but then she wondered if he'd want her to go hunting with him. Some men didn't care to have a woman as a hunting companion. She realized she still had so much to learn about Daryl, and she realized how much she was enjoying the journey.

She made a batch of chocolate chip cookies, got the dinner in the oven, set the table, tidied up the place a bit, and figured she still had at least an hour before he got home. She thought she'd find a little something to read, and sit out on that beautiful back porch.

She remembered he'd been reading something in the evenings during their trip, and thought she'd check it out. She assumed it was an adventure book of some type. She went to his bedside table, not really thinking about the fact she was snooping, slid the drawer open and took out the book. It was far from being light reading, the title was, "Treating Survivors of Childhood Abuse."

Her heart broke for him. She knew he'd been through so much, and she could see he was still working through it. He probably always would be.

She slipped the book back in the drawer, hoping he would never notice. Not just because he'd surely be mad at her, but because she didn't want to embarrass him.

She walked to the back porch, sat in one of the rockers, and started thinking more about Daryl and his life. She thought about the contrast of his life and hers. She had parents whose love she never doubted, who she knew always had her best interests at heart. She had never worried she may not have food, clothes or a place to sleep. She took all that for granted. Oh sure, they'd had to work hard during haying and branding seasons, but so did everyone, it was part of the lifestyle.

The more she thought about it the more she realized just how momentous it was for him, and for her, when he said he was trusting her with his heart. She couldn't imagine him feeling he could trust anyone after the people who'd brought him into the world had been so abusive and so neglectful.

She knew now, what she had with him was even more special than she'd thought. She felt incredibly loved, but she also felt she had a big responsibility in this relationship, and that was to never let him doubt that she treasured, and honored that trust.

The screen door swung open and she jumped. She hadn't even heard him drive up, he smiled at her, "Ya daydreamin'?"

She got up, went to him and hugged him tightly, "Just thinking about you and how lucky I am to have you love me. Thank you for trusting me with your heart, I promise I'm going to earn that."

And he pulled back a little and looked in her eyes, he didn't know where that came from all the sudden, but he'd take it. "I thought I was the lucky one," he smiled back, put a hand to the back of her head and kissed her deeply.

He stared into her eyes a moment, then lightened it up, "Now don't get me excited girl, I wanna take a shower before dinner, n yeah, I _am_ starvin' as a matter a fact."

While he showered she finished fixing dinner. She'd made what she'd always been told was a Wyoming Stew, slow roasted meat with potatoes and carrots. She made a gravy, and felt like everything had come together pretty good.

He came out of the bedroom in a pair of 501's and a t-shirt, and she thought he couldn't look any sexier.

"Smells good, looks good, I'm bettin' it's gonna taste good," he smiled. "I ain't use ta havin' someone cook for me, thanks Beth."

"There's no one I'd rather cook for than Daryl Dixon," She smiled over at him.

During dinner she wanted to ask him about two things that had been on her mind. "I was wondering if maybe Saturday we could go into the woods here, and you could give me some lessons about the terrain, what plants to watch out for, what to expect, and what wildlife is around."

"Oh hell yes, that'd be fun, n I'm glad ya wanna learn it. We'll go early, that'll give us plenty a time 'fore we gotta get over ta Merle n Carol's place." That brought up the other thing.

"I don't know why, but I feel a little nervous about going to your brother's. I can be kind of shy with new people, and they're you're family so I want them to like me. What can you tell me about Carol?"

"First off, they're gonna like ya plenty Beth, don't worry 'bout that. As for Carol, I don't know much myself. Merle told me about her more'n a year ago, but he acted like it was just, ya know, casual. Then they got married while we was on the trip. Surprised the hell outta me. I been over there a couple times since I got back, n they stopped by here one Sunday ta say 'Hi.' She's around Merle's age, give or take a couple years, and he's 11 years older'n me, so both of 'em somewhere in their early 40's. Guess her husband was a real asshole, beat the crap outta her on a regular basis. He's dead now, which is good or Merle might be back in the pen for murder. She seems real nice, n she can handle Merle, that means she's tough n patient," he smiled, but then got a little serious, "Seems ta me they're probably real good together. Both of 'em had hard times and now they got each other. She has a daughter, Sophia, a nice little gal, I think she's 12. Never woulda thought my brother was the kinda man ta marry and settle down, but I ain't ever seen him happy like he is now. They're gonna make ya feel right at home Beth. You'll see." What she saw right then was the love he had for his brother.

He helped with the clean-up, even though she told him not too. "Goes a lot faster with two people doin' it, n it don't bother me none. I like keepin' the place up."

"I got ta go in the office a while, finish up a couple things. Won't be that way every night, but I's a little off my schedule today," He smiled at her, "Took my woman out first thing and made her get a job." And there it was, he looked embarrassed again, she'd figured out he was just so shy, he worked hard at conversation and expressing himself. He continued, "So anyway, if ya wanna turn on the TV, it ain't gonna bother me, n Beth, if yer lookin' for sumthin' ta read, I got quite a few good ones on those shelves in the office."

And she froze for a minute, and then the tears came, "I'm so sorry Daryl, I didn't mean to be snooping," and she told him how she came to find the book. "Please don't be angry with me, I didn't read it or anything, and I put it right back. I would never spy on you."

And he put his arms around her, "I know, n I ain't got nuthin' ta hide 'round here. All my secrets are buried deep inside a me, that's why I been readin' the book. I's only keepin' it from ya cuz I thought you'd think I was some kinda damaged person, wouldn't want anythin' ta do with me."

"Oh Daryl, I wouldn't judge you that way, I love the person you are, and I'm so lucky to have you in my life," And she hugged him tightly.

Again he acted a little embarrassed as he said, "Thanks Beth, I love you too. Now, I best get in there n get it done, then maybe we can have some time ta just hang out," he looked in her eyes and she could see the worry there. She knew he was insecure about her, and she wanted to ease his mind.

"I'm not going anywhere Daryl, I'm right where I want to be, I'm with you."

 **A/N I hope you enjoyed it. This seemed to be the natural place to end this chapter, I'll be posting the next one in just a couple of days. We need to follow our couple into the woods, over to Merle and Carol's house, and a few other places. Thanks so much for reading, please review xo**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N Who's the greatest? You guys, that's who! Thanks so much. In this chapter a lot of things are going on, and part of it could, maybe, be a little set-up ;) I hope you enjoy!**

They'd fallen into an easy routine already, and it had only been a couple of days. She got up even before he did and made breakfast and packed him a lunch. He'd insisted she didn't need to, but she'd insisted she wanted to and wasn't taking no for an answer. She said she'd cook during the week, unless he wanted to grill something, she didn't know anything about grilling. They'd just see what happened on weekends.

Saturday morning they were both up early, excited to be going out in the woods together. Daryl announced he was cooking breakfast, and while he did, she made sandwiches for later and filled two big reusable water bottles.

Daryl planned to take his crossbow, "just in case," and she was excited to watch him shoot it. She'd only shot compound and recurve, and she preferred instinctual shooting with the recurve.

The crossbow would be an entirely new experience.

He'd insisted she wear a sidearm and bring a knife, "Ya never can be sure what ya might run into, always gotta protect yerself Beth, always. When ya come out this way, ya bring yer knife an yer gun." He was so serious, it wasn't like he was just warning her about looking out for animals or something, it was more like he was afraid for her, like he didn't want to risk anything happening to her, ever. She wasn't quite sure whether it scared her, or gave her a warm fuzzy. Maybe some of both.

After chowing down on bacon, eggs and grits, they hurriedly did the dishes before heading out the door. She'd already learned Daryl never left messes behind, he sure wasn't anything like her brother Shawn, who her mom regarded as a professional mess maker.

As they walked he told her about the plant life, what was edible if she ever got lost, the kinds of bugs, reptiles and animals she'd come across. "With all that damn bug spray ya used, don't think yer gonna have ta worry about bugs, some kinda cancer or sumthin' maybe, but not bugs."

She playfully punched his arm and told him, "You'll be relieved I'm not complaining about bug bites later Daryl, if I don't spray I get eaten alive. Bugs love me."

"Yeah, 'course they do, ya prolly taste like sugar." He'd say sweet little things like that to her, and she'd immediately notice the red flush come to his neck. It endeared him to her even more.

After they'd walked a mile or so, he stopped in a clearing, "Wanna try shootin' the crossbow?"

"Oh man, you know it! Just tell me what I have to do." He thought she might start jumping up and down she was so excited, and he loved that she loved the outdoors as much as he did.

"Let's start with the basics, what's the draw weight on yer recurve?"

"Its a100 pounds and I've been pulling that a while, I don't have trouble with it, and I can hold it steady in the time it takes to aim and shoot." She smiled up at him.

"Well this bow has a 150 pound draw, so that's gonna be tougher, once it's cocked though, the work's done, ya don't have ta keep holdin' a bow string back. Other thing that's easier is ya got a sight, like a pistol, and the aim is a little more forgiving. Ya shoot with both eyes open, just like with yer instinctual shootin'. And you can cock n load yer crossbow, n be ready ta shoot at any time, although that makes it like a loaded gun with the safety off. Truth is Beth, if ya can shoot instinctual with a recurve, yer gonna do real good with any bow as long as the weight and the draw works for ya."

He schooled her in the mechanics of the bow, and showed her how to cock it, although he did have to help a little, he was impressed by her strength. He scraped a mark on a tree with his knife, stood behind her and she took aim. Boom, she damn near hit it dead center.

He laughed and gave her a hug, "Girl, yer gonna fill the freezer come huntin' season."

They had a shoot out for a while, but he could see her arms start to quiver from holding up that heavy crossbow and pulling that draw weight. "How 'bout we take a break from this, go on over by the creek."

They took it easy on the half mile walk, stopping often to just look around. He liked that she didn't feel the need to just chat out here in the woods. That was one of the things he liked best about being here, the quiet.

He took her hand, like he always did, and like she always loved, and then she wondered something, and she asked him, "When we've been together longer, you know, when we're more used to seeing each other all the time, living together for a while, all that stuff, are you still going to hold my hand?"

He stopped and looked at her for a minute, "I don't know any reason why I wouldn't wanna be holdin' yer hand Beth, can't imagine gettin' sick a that." They started walking again and she was smiling.

They got to the creek and Beth thought it was just beautiful. "Oh I love this little area, everything is so pretty, and there's no one here but us, that makes it even more special."

"Yeah, sometimes I just come here ta think, ya know, calm my mind a little after a hard day, or even after a good one," he laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

They skipped some rocks across the nearly still water, and he suddenly turned, put his hands to either side of her head and pulled her into him. He was kissing her like it was leading to more, and she wasn't resisting. Her hands were on his hips, and he moved a hand to her breast, and then he pulled away and looked at her, "Ya wanna get a little wild in the wild?" And as he said it his neck turned bright pink and she knew he'd embarrassed himself, but she thought it was adorably sexy.

She smiled up at him, "I love it when you talk funny and naughty at the same time, and yes, I do."

That got a soft laugh from him and he kissed her again. Then he took his shirt off and laid it down on a bed of leaves, and then picked her up and laid her down on the shirt. She was thinking nothing could be sexier than this.

And they got a little wild in the wild.

After all the exercise they'd had they were starving, and had their lunch there on the bank of the creek.

Something had been on his mind, even though she'd told him she was here to stay, Daryl had a lot of insecurity about it, and he decided now was as good a time as any to mention something, "Ya know Beth, ta get an in-state huntin' license ya gotta be a resident for 12 months. Ya gonna become a resident of Georgia?"

"Oh my gosh, I hadn't even thought about that. Shoot, what do I need to do?" Her brow was furrowed, but he felt pretty damn happy, she wanted to become a resident.

"Well first thing is get a Georgia driver's license. I think they got the manual online, but I ain't sure. The office is right downtown next ta the Sheriff's office. Maybe when ya feel like yer ready, go by after work one day n take yer test. You can register ta vote in the clerk's office. Those things and the job, you'll be able ta get a huntin' license next year."

"Wow, a whole year, but I'm going to take care of it right away. I want to be able to hunt with you Daryl, I mean, if you want me to," she looked up at him.

"Course I want ya to," He bent down and kissed her on top of her head. "We should start headin' back, after all we done today, we could probably use a shower before we go to Merle and Carol's."

She'd made a double batch of cookies and some corn salsa the day before to bring to Carol and Merle. She had tortilla chips to go with the salsa, and she was putting everything in a bag. He'd told her she didn't need to take anything and she'd smiled at him, "No Daryl, you don't need to. They'd never expect you to, but I'm a woman, I don't just show up at another woman's home for dinner and not bring something."

"Damn, see there? I never even knew there was rules ta this stuff," he shook his head.

"What about beer or wine, should we stop on the way and pick some up?"

"Uh Beth, Merle don't drink or nuthin', hasn't for a long while. He give up all the drinkin' and the druggin', says he wants ta keep his nose clean n his ass outta prison. Sorry, I guess I forgot ta mention that. But we can have sumthin' later when we get home." He was a little uncomfortable now.

"Oh, I just didn't know. It doesn't bother me at all. But I would kind of like to have a some wine with you later," She gave him a suggestive little smile.

"Sounds real good ta me baby, real good." And he gave her a quick kiss.

She was nervous, but also looking forward to meeting Carol and Sophia. She was used to spending a lot of time with family, and it was nice to know family was close by, even if it was a small family.

The front door was open and she saw Merle look through the screen door when they pulled up. He stepped out on the front porch and folded his arms across his chest. Right away she thought of Daryl, they weren't completely different.

Daryl came around to her door, helped her out, and then grabbed the bag with the things they'd brought.

"Hey little brother, hey Beth, glad y'all could make it," He shook hands with Daryl and put his arm around Beth's shoulders, but just for a moment. "Carol's in the kitchen puttin' the finishin' touches on a pot a beans, or maybe it's her salad, I ain't certain, c'mon Beth, I'll take ya on in there ta meet my bride."

Beth felt more relaxed already, Merle seemed warmer toward her, more friendly and open than he had been when she first met him, but she supposed she understood the mistrust he had of her that day, he was worried about his brother.

Carol turned from the stove, "Oh you must be Beth, I'm so happy to finally meet you," And the woman walked right over and gave Beth a warm hug. "Let me just turn this fire down on the beans and I'll get you a lemonade or sweet tea. What sounds good?"

"Lemonade sounds delicious Carol, thank you. I brought some corn salsa and chips, and a plate of snicker doodles."

"Oh my Beth, Sophia is going to be on cloud nine, the girl loves snicker doodles, thank you so much, but you really didn't need to bring anything." She handed Beth the lemonade then placed a hand on Beth's elbow and said, "Come, we don't need to be standing around in the kitchen, oh, but let me get that salsa and chips. We're going to be sitting out on the porch."

From what Beth had seen of the house it was cute and cozy, and just like Daryl kept his place, this house was spotless. She followed Carol out the backdoor to a nice screened in porch. There were lights hung, like Christmas lights but these were cute little lanterns. There was a picnic table with a brightly colored vinyl tablecloth, and also a set of four comfortable looking outdoor chairs with a small table in the center.

Carol asked, "Did you get something to drink Daryl?"

"Oh yeah, thanks Carol, Merle got me a coke outta the cooler."

Carol looked at Beth, "Sit, please. Let me go tell Sophia y'all are here, I think she's in her room playing her music." Carol set the chips and salsa on the table and went in the house, but she was back in just a minute.

A pretty young girl came right over and said, "Hi Uncle Daryl, I'm happy to see you again."

And Daryl said, "Well its good ta see you again too Sophia, this is Beth."

And the girl said, "Oh I've been waiting to meet you Aunt Beth, I'm Sophia."

Beth was so surprised she called her "Aunt," and she was also moved by it. "Hi Sophia, I've been very anxious to meet you too." And they immediately fell into a comfortable conversation about school and horses, Sophia had lots of questions.

Carol put her arm around her daughter, "Okay sweetie, don't be wearin' Beth out with all your questions, save some for the next time you see her. Let me have a turn to talk to her too."

"Sorry Mama," she smiled and went over and put an arm around Merle's shoulder, "Papa what time are you going to put those burgers on, because don't forget, you promised you'd show me how to grill them."

"Don't you worry sweetheart, I ain't forgettin', gonna be just a few more minutes for that charcoal ta be ready, I'll let ya know 'fore I start, K?" He smiled at her.

"Okay Papa." And she sat quietly at the picnic table shuffling a deck of cards and playing solitaire while the adults talked, and Beth was thinking what a nice family they were.

Carol was pretty with sparkling blue eyes and a warm and gracious smile. Her hair was quite short, but the style looked real cute on her. She didn't wear a lot of make-up, but she really didn't need it, and Beth didn't miss the way she and Merle would look at each other. It made her feel happy for them both, and for Sophia.

They talked about where she was from in Wyoming, about her new job, and Carol asked her how she liked Georgia so far. Beth noticed when Carol asked her that, Merle and Daryl quit talking and looked at her.

"Oh I love it. Daryl's home is beautiful, and the setting couldn't be any more perfect. I walked around town a little the other day and I thought it was wonderful, so many quaint shops. The stables are the nicest I've ever seen, and today Daryl took me exploring in the woods behind the cabin and my gosh, it's like you walk a few yards from the house and you're out of civilization altogether, and it's just so peaceful and so pretty. So far, I can't think of anything to complain about," She smiled broadly, and she noticed there seemed to be a collective sigh of relief from everyone else on the porch. She understood how much they were all hoping she'd decide to stay. Merle and Carol maybe not so much because they wanted Beth there, probably more like they didn't want Daryl hurt. She got it.

It got real quiet and Carol broke the silence asking her daughter, "Sophia, guess what Aunt Beth brought for dessert, homemade snicker doodles!"

Sophia got up, went right over to Beth, put her small arm around her and said, "Thank you so much Aunt Beth, now I'm really excited for dinner, so we can have dessert!"

Merle piped in, "Okay young lady, then we best get those burgers on that grill!"

After a dinner of burgers, calico beans and fruit salad, followed by the snicker doodles and vanilla ice cream, Merle suddenly seemed nervous, he cleared his throat and said, "Sophia has an announcement ta make, okay little girl, yer on."

And the she stood, grinned from ear to ear and said, "I'm going to have a new little brother or sister! Yay! Mama and Papa are going to have a baby!" And she was clapping her hands.

Well that took a minute to register with Daryl, and then his jaw dropped, he looked at his brother and said, "This for real Merle, it ain't April Fool's Day or nuthin', is it?"

"Its for real baby brother, I might tease ya, but Sophia wouldn't," And now Merle was grinning ear to ear.

Beth stood immediately, gave Carol a big hug and said, "Oh that's wonderful Carol, I'm so happy for you." And she did the same with Sophia, and Merle.

Beth asked, "Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"

Carol just smiled and said, "Oh I'm just hoping for healthy and happy."

Merle said, "I'm just hopin' that whether it's a boy or a girl it gets Carol's looks and disposition."

"How far along are you Carol? When's the baby due?" Beth smiled.

And Carol asked Sophia to start clearing the dishes, and once the girl was in the house, Merle said, "Well, turns out she's four months along, and we only been married eight weeks, we haven't figured out how ta explain that part ta Sophia yet. I told Carol we had us a shotgun weddin' and we didn't even know it, ha! We had no idea she was pregnant, didn't have the signs, I guess it ain't all that uncommon. We don't even know how it happened," he laughed then, "We know what caused it, but we was bein' real careful, that's what we thought. I's planning on gettin' one a them quick little operations, ya know, so we wouldn't have any surprises, cuz damn, I'm 44 years old, Carol's 41, we figured we was too old ta be havin' babies, but we're havin' one, and damn, I'm excited. Carol didn't kill me when she found out, so I think she's kinda excited too." Carol looked at him and smiled widely.

Daryl shook Merle's hand and said, "I'm real happy for ya brother, real happy. It's excitin', just a few weeks ago I didn't have a niece or a nephew, now I'ma have two. Hell, we all got sumthin' ta celebrate. And Carol, thanks for not killin' Merle, he ain't much, but he's the only brother I got."

And he stood, went over to Carol bent down and kissed her cheek. "I'm real happy for ya Carol, ya let me know if there's anythin' me or Beth can do for ya, happy ta help ya any way we can."

"Thank you Daryl. So far everything has been real easy, it seems strange because I always thought it was tougher when you got older, but except for being real tired all the time, I'm doing just great," She smiled at Merle.

They talked a while longer, but when Carol started yawning Daryl said, "We better help clean up this stuff and get on home so you can get yer rest, prolly ain't gettin' much once that baby's born."

On the way home she smiled at him, "Oh Daryl I had such a nice time with your family. I really like Carol a lot, and Sophia is a doll. Now we'll have to have them to your cabin for dinner, or a barbecue, something fun."

"Sounds good ta me, you plan it out with Carol, I'll grill up some venison steaks. Ya know back there you was tellin' Carol, 'Daryl's house is beautiful,' and now ya said, 'your cabin,' Beth, it's yer house now too, ya live there, it's our home. I want ya ta think of it like that." And he was chewing on the side of his thumb, like he sometimes did, so she knew he was nervous.

"Thank you Daryl, thank you so much. I will, I promise. I'm very happy living there, it's perfect." And she placed her hand on his arm and smiled at him.

xxxx

It was dark on the back porch, and they just had one soft light on. It was peaceful and they were holding hands, enjoying both the night noises and some delicious red wine. It turned out Daryl had a nice supply of good wine in a cabinet in his office.

He wanted to go to a sporting goods place he knew the next day, he said he wanted to get himself a compound bow, they had a longer hunting season if you used a compound, and even longer if you use a recurve. "Probably cost more money ta have yer recurve sent here, than just buy a new one, so I'ma get ya one. We can get some good targets for the back, and I know a farmer I can pick up a couple bales a straw from, we can have us a regular shooting range in our own backyard. Whaddya think?"

"I think it sounds awesome, but I feel guilty having you buy me the bow, I feel like I should pay my own way."

"Well it's a present, and anyway, you'll earn it later when yer stockin' that freezer with meat for me, and making sausage," He smiled that cute little half smile at her.

'Okay," she said, "We'll see what they have."

And they started talking about Merle and Carol having a baby. Daryl supposed he was still in shock. "My brother has been chock fulla surprises the past couple months. First he marries a gal he told me he was just, ya know, casually with, and she's got a little girl and that little girl calls him Papa. Don't get me wrong, I think the whole thing is real good, I'm happy for all of 'em, just shocked the shit outta me is all. I was just kinda startin' ta get used to that idea, and now bam, Merle Dixon is gonna be a Daddy. Gonna take a while for that ta settle in. But they all seem mighty happy an excited, so I'm happy an excited for 'em."

"I am too, I think it's great, Carol really was glowing. Have you ever thought you might want a baby Daryl?"

His eyes got wide, she swore he was almost hyperventilating, "Are ya, ya know?"

"No Daryl, don't panic, I'm just asking." She couldn't help but smile at the poor man, "I always wanted a child."

"I ain't never thought about the possibility of it, never had me a steady woman, never thought I would, so I sure didn't ever think I's gonna have any babies. I s'pose I wouldn't hate that at all."

 **A/N We don't have any Bethyl babies, but we do have Dixon babies, and that's a start. Next chapter brings the drama, I think you'll be surprised. Until then, thank you so much for reading and reviewing xo**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N Thanks so much to followers and guests for all the reviews, PMs, etc. I appreciate all of you. Fasten your seat belts, here we go.  
**

 _Two Months Later_

So much had happened in the past month.

She'd taken care of business and gotten her Georgia Driver's License right away, she'd also registered to vote and opened a small checking account. She felt Georgia legit.

He'd given her a duplicate of his debit card and she'd tried hard to protest that, but he'd been insistent. "Jesus Beth, ya got access ta damn near everythin' I own. And besides, when I just give ya my card ta use, then I ain't got it, that's inconvenient as hell, and what's the difference anyway? Shit. I never keep more'n 5 grand in that account, so it's gonna be hard for ya ta bankrupt me completely. Don't argue with me 'bout this, argue about sumthin' that matters, not this, please." And so she'd taken it and just said "Thank you, Daryl."

She and Carol had grown closer, and every weekend they spent at least part of a day or evening with Carol and Merle, one house or the other and it usually involved grilling and just chatting, being a family. She found that she enjoyed being around Merle too, he'd seemed like such a rough guy at first, but she'd watched the way he was with Carol and Sophia, he treated them like gold. And she and Merle had something big in common, they both loved Daryl.

She and Daryl had gotten new bows, and he had the backyard set up like a bow hunter's shooting gallery. They'd had so much fun practicing; it was like their own personal playground. They'd even started eating dinner a little later just because they wanted to be out there "playing" every night until nearly dark.

Daryl had become completely proficient with the compound bow, and she'd shot with it a few times herself.

She felt like she'd totally honed her skills with the recurve, and Daryl was always teasing her, calling her his natural born killer.

And Daryl had taught her something she'd never even considered trying before, knife throwing. She was surprised how fast she'd taken to it, and she could tell by the way he watched her throw he was proud. He'd surprised her one night with the gift of a beautiful throwing knife, he'd even had her name tooled in the leather sheath.

Then he'd gotten embarrassed, "Sometimes I'm just a dumbass Beth, a man ain't supposed ta be givin' his woman a damn knife, I'm supposed ta be buying ya jewelry."

"Don't be silly Daryl, not only will I have a lot of fun with it, but it's a beautiful piece of art, and you picked it out just for me. You did just right, I love it."

They'd started spending every Saturday in the woods behind the cabin. He'd taken her progressively further and further in, and she felt like she'd really learned her way around. But no matter where they wandered in those woods, they always wound up at their little spot next to the creek. They'd quit pretending they didn't know what that was going to lead to, and now they took a small blanket roll with them on their hikes.

Beth had been surprised to find out she could have just shy of four days in a row off next week, plus the two day weekend. The owner of the horse she was training was taking him north to show him. The owner of the stable had given her the option of taking the rest of the week off, and that sounded great to her. All she had to do was go in Tuesday, work with the horse a little, get all the tack together and the feed, and load the horse, the tack and the feed in the horse trailer. She should be done and out of there by 11am.

Daryl had four huge jobs getting ready to start, all were for commercial contractors. The business end of the work was done, all the designs and bids were in and approved, and he'd ordered all the materials. Now the guys just had to get everything built and installed, they were looking at a solid two months. Of course he planned to oversee everything, but his guys had been working with him so long, they all knew what he expected of them.

There were also several smaller jobs working, and they were pushing to complete those, materials were all in, and the guys had just started the work. Daryl and Jacqui had to tell anyone else wanting his services, the waiting period was now two to three months.

When she told him about her upcoming days off, he'd mentioned an idea to her, he'd take some time off, and they'd pack back in the woods, set up camp at their favorite spot and spend their days tracking, shooting their bows, and having some knife-throwing showdowns.

She not only liked the idea, she was ecstatic. "Oh my gosh Daryl, I can't wait, this is going to be so fun! Thank you so much for thinking of this!"

They'd decided to make it three nights, what the hell. The plan was she'd get home from work that Tuesday, probably around 11:30a, take a shower, pack up the cold food. They were taking their meat in a small soft-sided, insulated freezer bag with a chunk of dry ice.

Daryl had decided he'd go into the shop, have a quick meeting with the guys and Jacqui, make sure everybody was squared away, and be back by 9a. He was going to pack the tent and their sleeping bags down to the creek, then meet her back at the cabin.

That way he could pack more, and he wanted it to be fun times too, so he was taking some wine and beers, they'd keep stuff as cold as they could in the creek.

They told one person where they'd be just in case of any sort of emergency, that was always a good idea, and of course, that person was Merle.

They both woke up way too early Tuesday morning, you would have thought it was Christmas. So they did a little exercising under the covers to try and calm themselves down.

Over breakfast Daryl told her he'd take that first load in and be back no later than noon. They'd walk into camp together. They hugged goodbye and she got in his truck and he got in the work truck.

She got home a little earlier than she'd thought, 11:15. She took her shower, packed up the small freezer bag, and waited. When he wasn't back by one she was getting nervous, she'd even called Merle to make sure what time he'd left the shop.

When he wasn't back by 1:30, she'd said out loud, "Screw it, something's not right." Daryl was a man that if he said he'd be there, he'd be there. She had her side arm and her knife, she knew he'd be upset if she didn't. She put her backpack on and carried the small freezer bag. The last thing she did was grab her bow bag and sling it over her shoulder. She headed to the creek.

xxxx

He felt good about everything, the guys were all lined out, and he knew between them, Jacqui and Merle everything would go smoothly.

He got home right at 9, just like he expected to. When he headed back out the door, he imagined he looked a lot like an armed pack mule. He had the compound bow and the backpacker's tent on his back, and a front pack with the wine. He carried one sleeping bag in each hand. Hell, he'd still have a pack full of food to carry next trip.

He got to the creek and set-up the little tent, it was just big enough for the two of them to sleep in. He was on his knees, facing the creek, getting the wine from the pack, planning to submerse it in the creek to keep it from getting hot.

That's when he felt a crushing blow to the side of his head and face, he crumpled over on his side. He was barely conscious but he heard that voice, the one he'd hoped so much he'd never hear again, saying, "You fuckin' little bastard, I shoulda beat ya ta death a long time ago, save me the aggravation a havin' ta do it now. Well I'ma take care a that right here, then I'm gonna beat yer worthless brother ta death. Ya think yer such a big shot, with yer big deal business, ain't never even looked me up, tried ta find me n share with me, nah, yer sharin' with yer worthless drug addict brother instead. You two are a real pair." The whole time the man was yelling he was punching mercilessly at Daryl's face and body. When Daryl's face was an unrecognizable bloody mess, he started to kick him, in the ribs, in the legs, in the arms.

Daryl was unconscious, that took the fun out of it for the bastard, so he opened one of the bottles of wine, drank from it and laughed. "I always knew you was a pussy, even saw ya down here fuckin' that little blond, I still knew ya was no kinda real man. Ya never was. Can't even take a good beatin' like a man. Sweet little Daryl, yeah, yer sweet alright."

He'd powered down that first bottle of wine and had opened a second, he was thinking it had turned out to be a pretty good day. He was just waiting for this piece of shit to come to so he could beat him again.

After the second bottle he passed out, just before Beth got there.

She nearly passed out herself when she saw Daryl. She now knew without a doubt what the expression "Beaten to a Bloody Pulp" meant. If she hadn't known it was him, by the body, the tats, the clothes, she would not have recognized him.

She went to him and knelt down, "Daryl, oh God, please Daryl, say something." But he was completely out, he was breathing, but that was the only positive thing she could say.

She reached in her back pocket for the cell, praying to God she'd get a signal. She had one bar, but it was enough, Merle answered. She spoke quickly, surprising herself with how calm and business-like she sounded, "Merle, Daryl's been beaten nearly to death, oh my God Merle, it's a mess. There's a strange man, I don't know him, he's passed out leaning against a tree, I'm sure he did it, his hands are bloody. We're at the creek. I don't think 9-1-1 would find us, can you come?"

"You stay right there with Daryl girl, ya draw that gun and you be ready ta shoot that bastard that done it if he comes to, don't ya hesitate Beth, ya just do it. I'll be right there."

He hollered at Axel and Oscar, "Axel, ya get ta my house right now, ya get Carol and Sophia, ya meet me at Daryl's, tell Carol, no options, come. Oscar, ya come with me, I'ma need some muscle."

His last stop was at Jacqui's desk, "Gotta go, Daryl's been hurt bad, ya lock the place up when it's time. I'll check in with ya soon as I know sumthin'."

And he and Oscar got in Merle's truck and Oscar was sure Merle broke every speeding law in the State of Georgia, but they made it to Daryl's in record time. Merle slammed on the brakes, threw it in park, and he and Oscar hit the ground running. They raced to the creek and Merle couldn't believe what he saw.

xxxx

She'd been cradling Daryl's head in her lap, talking to him softly, hoping to God Merle got there before it was too late. The man leaning against the tree started to come to, but she was ready, just like Merle had told her to be. She had the throwing knife and the pistol, both ready to use.

The strange man looked at her and snarled, "Ah it's you blondie, well, well, well ain't you a fine little piece a tail. I can't imagine why ya'd wanna waste that sweet stuff on a worthless piece a shit like this boy here. Did ya really get off, or was ya just fakin' it? I'll tell ya what, I'll do ya real good, right here, right now, then I'll beat ya, same as I beat him. Won't that be sweet? You two can lay here n rot ta death tagether, now that's fuckin' romantic."

She hadn't even thought about what she was doing, she had the pistol in her hand, aimed right at him. "Ya ain't gonna shoot me blondie, yer one a them prissy little gals, yer just gonna cry n wish ya had." He was up and moving toward her and she pulled.

Maybe she should have aimed to kill, but she just wanted to stop him from getting any closer to her and Daryl. He fell over, the bullet had hit him in the upper left chest. He was cussing her out, but he stood back up and now he lunged toward her, and this time she didn't hesitate, she threw the knife and it went right into his side.

He wasn't dead, but he wasn't coming at her and Daryl anymore, he was writhing in pain and cussing her out.

The next thing she remembered was Merle saying, "C'mon Beth, me n Oscar gonna carry Daryl up ta the house, I got 9-1-1 called. We gotta hurry girl, ya gotta walk with us, c'mon now, yer a strong one, you can do this."

She didn't know where she got the presence of mind, but she did it. They were moving fast, Oscar with his hands under Daryl's arms, Merle holding an ankle in each hand. Beth jogged beside them.

They got to the cabin and the paramedics, Axel, Carol and Sophia were all waiting. Carol immediately moved her hand over Sophia's eyes so she didn't see Daryl and how terribly injured he was.

The paramedics had the gurney ready and they moved Daryl to it, then they did their work. One asked Beth, "Are you his wife?" And before she could answer, Merle said, "Yeah, she'll ride with him, answer yer questions, I'm his brother, I'ma meet ya at the hospital. And Beth, now don't ya forget darling, he keeps that insurance card in his wallet." Beth looked at Merle and sent a silent "Thank you."

She told the paramedics what she knew, except of course about the other man, Merle had given her strict instructions to let him handle calling the sheriff.

Merle told Carol, "Ain't no way they can take care of him here in our little hospital, he's in real bad shape. Get some things together fast for Beth. We'll run ta the house and get a few things for us, my guess we'll be goin' to Atlanta."

Merle and family got to the hospital just in time to see them loading Daryl and Beth in the transport ambulance, the driver told them where they'd be. And they were all off to Atlanta with lights and sirens.

Merle couldn't drive as fast as that ambulance, not with Sophia and Carol in the truck, but he went as fast as he felt was safe. It was just before they got to Atlanta that he called Sheriff Grimes and told him the situation.

Beth started to fully realize everything that had happened when they were in the ambulance. The paramedic had given her a special lined bag, and she'd thrown up in it twice. He told her not to feel bad, it was expected.

Daryl still hadn't regained consciousness, and his vital signs were a bit weak, but he seemed stable, and he was alive. That's where she tried to keep her focus, Daryl was alive.

They were waiting for his arrival at the hospital in Atlanta, where he was immediately rushed somewhere for x-rays. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when they informed her he was in an E.R. room and took her to him.

As the doctors and nurses began their work, another woman asked Beth all the questions about him they'd asked at the other hospital. Thank God she and Daryl had now been together long enough she knew the answers.

Merle came in the room, and she was so relieved to see him, he put an arm around her, "Ya holdin' up okay there Little Sister?" That's when she first cried.

"Don't cry now girl, ya done good, real good. Ya saved Daryl's life. Got everyone called. Ya took care a business, held it together. Yer stronger than I'd given ya credit for."

"Merle, who in the world was that man, and why would he want to kill Daryl with his bare hands?"

"That there was our ol' man," Merle replied casually, but she could hear the hate in his tone.

"Oh my God, that was your _father_?" She was more than stunned.

"I don't really think of him as bein' our father, I think of him as a sperm donor," Merle gave her a last little hug, then he went to stand next to Daryl's bed.

The E.R. doctor and nurse left the room, saying they'd be returning with a specialist. That's when Merle bent down and started talking to Daryl, like Daryl was wide awake and listening, "Ya gotta fight hard little brother, ya gotta pull through this, ya can't let the sumbitch win. You n I we got us a pact. Ya can't be leavin' me, can't be leavin' Beth, we need ya here with us. Ya c'mon now brother, yer a survivor."

The Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon came in the room and introduced himself, he asked if they were relatives, Merle replied, "Yessir, I'm his brother Merle Dixon, this here's his wife, Beth." Beth appreciated how both of the Dixon brothers knew how to stretch the truth at a hospital.

"Nice to meet you both, sorry it's under these circumstances. As the Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon I deal in head, face, neck and jaw injuries. Another physician will discuss his other injuries with you. Mr. Dixon has suffered major trauma to the facial bones, both his upper and lower jaw are fractured, his right eye socket and his nose have been crushed. I'm predicting it will take as many as four surgeries to repair the damage, and about four months for him to recover completely, providing everything goes well. He's stable now, and I'd like to get started on his jaw first, and also check the eye socket and nose, at the very minimum we'll do our best to get everything stabilized. We need to prep an O.R. and I'll need you to sign the surgical release forms Mrs. Dixon."

Beth had a moment of sheer panic, should she really sign? She wasn't actually his wife. As if he knew her dilemma, Merle put his arm around her and said, "Now don't ya worry Little Sister, I'm right here. I know this is what Daryl wants, he needs this ta get better, K?" Obviously Merle was not backing down on his little lie. Beth just half whispered, "Yes, yes of course. I'll sign."

The first doctor had no sooner left than another came in the room, and they went through all the introductions again. He was a hospitalist, and his report was a little less frightening. "Mrs. Dixon, your husband has several cracked ribs, and a broken collarbone. We expect to be able to successfully treat all of these without surgery. We'll wrap the ribs, and put a brace on his shoulder to minimize movement as much as possible. Other than those injuries, he has massive bruising and if he were awake he'd be in a lot of pain. The best news is we didn't detect any organ damage or internal bleeding."

When they'd wheeled Daryl into the O.R. Merle led her down to the cafeteria. "Carol and Sophia are waitin' on us, we can't do nuthin' here."

Carol hugged her so hard it nearly took her breath away, and Sophia was gripping her arm. She thought she'd cried earlier, but now she really came undone.

Merle announced, "Nurse told me there's a nice little hotel just a block away. I'ma take Carol and Sophia over there n get 'em set up, I'ma be gettin' you a room too. Sheriff is on his way, so I won't be gone long, just gotta take care a my girls, K?" Merle gave her a small smile and she nodded her head.

Merle hadn't been gone 10 minutes when Sheriff Grimes walked in. She'd only met him a few times, when he'd brought his son out to the stables for lessons. She knew he'd known Merle and Daryl ever since they were all kids. She knew he had a lot of questions for her, but she felt oddly calm.

They talked for a long time, and she openly told him everything that had happened. Then he told her, "Will Dixon isn't going to die from the injuries you inflicted, that's a damn shame, but I feel confident he'll die in prison, so I guess that's the bright side. Judging by his blood alcohol level he'd been drinking for quite a while before he ever got to the campsite, and he'd taken plenty of methamphetamine. There won't be any charges brought against you Beth, it was an act of self-defense, there's no doubt in my mind," and he smiled and tilted his head to the side, "I'm the Sheriff and that's my decision. My family and I will be praying for Daryl to make a full recovery, and for you and Merle too, you're going to need a lot of strength to get through these next many weeks."

He reached a hand out to her and she grasped it, "Thank you, I just wish I could have gotten there sooner."

"Hey, don't be punishing yourself, you no doubt saved Daryl's life."

Merle returned a half hour or so later, and they got coffees and went to the surgical waiting room.

As it turned out, Daryl was in surgery over 10 hours, but the surgeon assured them that things had gone quite well, that Daryl seemed strong, and although his eye socket was crushed, he had not lost the eye itself, "We can give him a new eye socket, a Titanium one, he'll be better than new. It's just going to take a lot of time, and a few more surgeries, but we'll get him there."

Merle tried to convince her to go back to the hotel, but she wouldn't leave the hospital, not tonight.

When he was finally moved to his room on the surgical floor she was allowed to see him. He was out cold, like she'd expected. His jaw was wired, he had a gauze bandage around his head, and his eye was covered with a piece of shiny metal. His face resembled raw hamburger, bruising was coming up all over his neck. He was a mess. And all she could think about was how much she loved him, and how much she wanted him to get better, come home with her, she just wanted their lives back the way they were.

No one was in the room with him but her, so she slipped up onto the bed and got as close to him as she felt was safe, she didn't want to hurt him. Moments later she was sound asleep.

The night nurse came in sometime later and smiled at the scene, sure it wasn't allowed, but the patient seemed to be doing okay, and she decided to pretend she hadn't seen a thing as she exited the room.

 **A/N Poor Daryl, poor everyone except that SOB Will Dixon. If you're familiar with Norman's terrible accident in 2005, you know that's where I got the eye and nose injury, the four surgeries and the four months to recover. He said at the time his face looked like hamburger, and he was sure his acting career was over. But it all worked out, and he is one handsome man! More soon. Thank you for reading, please review xo**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N Thank you so much everyone, I know that last chapter was tough, it was tough on me too. This chapter is all about brotherly love, two very different approaches to that, from two very different men.**

Merle had taken Carol and Sophia home two days after the accident. The ol' man was in jail, so he felt okay about having his wife and daughter home when he couldn't be there with them.

Daryl was just cogent enough to hear Merle tell him he was going to take care of everything with the business. Merle knew he'd worry as he got more and more aware of what was going on, and he'd want Merle there overseeing things.

He also told him not to worry about Beth, that he had gotten her a room at a nice little hotel close-by, and paid for two weeks in advance.

Finally he told Beth to make him a list of anything she wanted from the house, he'd have Carol pack it up and he'd bring it back in a couple days.

It seemed everything was handled, but shit, Merle was having a tough time walking out that door, it was so hard to leave Daryl and Beth down in Atlanta.

He'd sent Oscar and Axel to get Daryl and Beth's things from the little spot by the creek, and Carol checked the cabin to make sure everything was locked up, to deal with any food that might go bad, and to pack up the few items Beth had on her list.

Jacqui had called every customer they had a job going for, told them Daryl had been badly injured, but not to worry, he was expected to make a full recovery, and all jobs were on track for completion as scheduled.

Of course, she didn't really need to tell anyone he'd been injured, it had been all over the news, _all_ the news, Internet, radio, print and TV. She was almost glad Daryl was in Atlanta and not really in shape to be watching the news, he'd be terribly embarrassed his life was being made so public. But it was just the type of story the media loved. A grown man getting ambushed and nearly beaten to death by his own father, and the man's girlfriend coming to his rescue, not only shooting the father, but throwing a knife into his abdomen. Of course, someone had gotten hold of a photo of her, and since she was small, young, blond, pretty, it made great news, and the story was played over, and over and over again.

Merle had a plan and he knew how to set it in motion. He went to that hospital where the ol' man was healing up, and he managed to get in the room. They had a cop out front of the room, but Merle showed him I.D., said he was the guy's son and just wanted to let Will Dixon know they was all praying for his soul. And the cop said, "Five minutes."

That would be more than enough time. The old man was watching TV when he walked in, he looked at Merle and said, "The fuck ya want loser?"

"Oh I just wanted ta tell ya the good news Daddy Dear. I still got friends in the pen, gonna be payin' a call up there Sunday, it's visitin' day ya know. Gonna arrange a welcomin' committee for ya, have ya taken care of soon's ya get there, oh you won't see it comin', big ol guy he'll sneak up behind ya, wrap an arm around ya, real comfortin' like, and then he's gonna take that shiv and slice ya from stem ta stern. You'll bleed out right there on the prison floor, and it'll take a while, n you'll suffer some. Yer reward will be, ya won't have ta worry 'bout me n Daryl no more, won't that be nice? Ya have ya a real pleasant day now." And he smiled real pretty, turned, and left the room.

Merle felt better already, and it had been a while since he'd seen Abe, be nice to catch up with him.

It'd be a long day, but that was alright. Merle would never forget all the times his little brother had come to see him, every single month, the kid had spent hours on the bus and had to shell out plenty for the privilege. He knew he'd never be able to pay back what that had meant to him. What Daryl had given him was the gift of knowing someone gave a shit, cared enough to go out of their way just to see him for an hour a month, and he'd given Merle hope, hope that the Dixon brothers really could break-free of the family mold.

His little trip would be a cakewalk.

xxxx

When Merle and Carol left for home, Beth called her folks in Wyoming, and Maggie in Michigan.

Shawn had gotten on the phone with her, "When he sees himself in the mirror, and he freaks out, and he thinks he looks like a monster, wants you to leave him, you call me, I'll come talk to him."

"Thanks Shawn, I will." But she never thought she'd need to, Daryl would never want her to leave.

Her Mom and Dad wanted to come and be supportive, but she told them, "No, wait, come when he's better, he'll be so much happier if he's home when you're here."

She had the same conversation with Maggie.

By the third day Daryl was fully awake, although unable to stay awake for more than an hour or so at a time, and there was pain, even though she knew they had him on a lot of meds.

After the surgery, the doctor had told her that he may be able to talk fairly well, even though his jaw was wired, and he was able to, although, he'd never been a big talker before, and now that it was more difficult, he kept his questions and answers short. But it did make her feel better just to hear him.

He remembered some of what had happened, right at the beginning, and he told her he didn't really want to remember more. He was surprised to know he was in Atlanta, and said he just wanted to go home. "I'm going to get you there just as soon as I can Daryl, I promise."

She didn't tell him what she'd done to his father, she thought he'd feel like he somehow put her in jeopardy. Daryl took on a lot of blame that wasn't his.

She leaned over and kissed his head, even gently kissed his lips, and she told him, "I love you so much Daryl. Thank God you're going to be okay. I was really scared at first, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." And tears came to her eyes and he tried to take her hand, but he couldn't, he just softly whispered, "Beth."

xxxx

Merle had taken his girls, as he called them, to dinner Saturday night, he told Carol he'd be leaving early in the morning, before she and Sophia were up. He was going to Atlanta to visit Daryl, and he didn't expect to be home until late afternoon. He said he thought she and Sophia should stay home, rest. He told her he'd grill up some chicken when he got back, and they'd have a nice family dinner.

It was only 9am when he got to Daryl's room. His brother was fully awake and that made Merle feel better right away. Merle told him everything that was going on at the shop, he knew little brother, he knew the business would be on his mind. He told him they'd gotten all his and Beth's gear from the campsite, everything was in good shape and safely stowed away. He knew he'd be worrying about that too.

Daryl looked at his brother and his head barely nodded, and he managed to get out, "Thanks Merle."

"No problem little brother, happy ta be able ta help ya out." And soon Daryl drifted off and Merle softly took his hand and whispered real low, "He ain't gonna get away with it little brother, n he ain't ever gonna hurt ya again. I'ma make sure a that."

When Beth arrived back from getting a coffee, Merle embraced her, she never recalled him doing that before. He told her how much he appreciated her taking care of his brother, and he pointed out the small overnight bag in the corner with her things.

"Merle, I love Daryl, I'd do anything I could for him. Believe me when I tell you, I'm not going anywhere, not now, not ever."

He hugged her again and told her he had an appointment with a guy and he had to leave, but he'd see her again in a couple days, and she should let him know if she needed anything.

And he glanced over just as Daryl's eye opened, he put his hand on his brother's head and he actually said to him, out loud, for what Daryl was sure was the first time, "I love ya Little Brother, ye get yerself better now."

And Merle got to his car and made the drive to the prison, an hour and a half later he was entering the visitor's area. He went through all the B.S. you have to go through to visit an inmate, and then he waited to be called.

Half hour or so later they led him into the little room, there sat Abe at a small table, one wrist cuffed and chained to the table leg, "Hey Merle, long time no see buddy, how's it hangin'?"

Abe was a special kind of crazy, if the guy liked you, you were aces, and there wasn't anybody that was ever going to bother you around here. If he didn't like you, you better make damn sure you didn't piss him off and give him a reason to cause you some pain.

They were careful how they talked, you know, even though it's supposed to be private, you know it isn't. Merle took the lead, "Yer gonna have a new Dixon up this way real soon, my ol' man Will Dixon, should be on his way sometime soon. I think you're gonna like the ol' boy, he's a great guy."

Now Abe knew all about Merle's daddy, knew the guy was a wife beater and a child beater. Abe couldn't tolerate either. If a man's gonna beat someone, it's supposed to be another man, not a woman or a child. So he thought he knew what Merle was getting at. "Oh yeah, what's he comin' in for?"

"Ah ya know, my dumbass little brother, the ol' man had ta beat the fuck outta the kid. Damn near killed him. Kid's messed up bad, but ya know, it's the kids' own damn fault, had it comin'."

And Abe just nodded. He also knew how much Merle loved that little brother of his. The kid was the only visitor Merle ever had when he was in the joint, and every time he'd come, as soon as he left Merle would be cussing his ol' man all over again. So Abe knew, Merle didn't think his little brother deserved being nearly killed. And Merle said, "I sure do hope nuthin' real bad happens to the ol' boy when he gets here, and I'd hate to see him suffer, him bein' my Dad and all. So how's Rosita doin' these days, she still waitin' for yer big red ass ta get outta here and get home?"

That's when Abe knew for sure, and he smiled and nodded at Merle, and he said, "Yeah, my little Latin spitfire, she's savin' it for me alright, and she says she's doin' real, real good. Only two problems the poor woman has right now, our boys are eatin' her outta house n home, she says they just never stop shovelin' in the groceries, and the old washer dryer, shit, they're older than she is, and she says they finally gave out on her, she had to start going to the laundromat. Sure wished I could buy her one a them fancy sets, you know the ones, she loves those front loading things. Yeah, if I was out, I'd get enough money together to buy her a set of red ones."

"Well that's rough, I hate ta think she's got ta do that myself, when the hell ya supposed ta get outta here anyway?" Abe was serving 20 to life. He and Rosita had been drinking at the bar one night, Abe was over by the pool table talking to a buddy, and he saw a guy go up to Rosita, say something to her, and then put his hand right up her dress, right on what was Abe's alone. Abe had punched the guy hard, and when he fell, he hit the back of his head on the bar's brass foot rail, he died instantly. It seemed like Abe should have gotten off a little lighter, but Merle also knew that Abe had done lots a shit he'd never been caught for, so he supposed it all evened out in the end.

They had a pleasant enough visit, Merle was satisfied, and Rosita was about to get some gifts, and that's how things get done. And Merle said, "Oh hey, I'll put 50 bucks in yer commissary account, get ya some candy and smokes on yer ol' pal Merle."

Merle had to cover all tracks, and he knew a guy who could help, a discreet fellow. Merle would give him the cash to buy a 1000 bucks worth of hundred dollar gift cards at Costco, and that washer and dryer over at Sears, red ones. He'd have the guy deliver and install those machines for Rosita. He figured this whole business transaction would cost him around $5000.00, with what he'd pay the guy. Well worth every damn cent and more.

Merle rushed back to his girls, more than ready to grill that chicken.

xxxx

Beth was surprised that the doctor was going to do surgery on Daryl again the very next day, it seemed so soon. Daryl seemed happy about it, he was already getting restless and wanted out.

The second surgery went well, they'd done the repair to his nose, and got that titanium eye socket in.

The next day they told him that for the first time, they were getting him up and around and he could actually use the regular toilet. He would have never thought those words would be music to his ears.

When he went in that bathroom it was the first time he'd seen himself since the accident, and he was shaken, he had no idea how shockingly awful he looked, he was a monster, and he knew what he had to do, he couldn't ask her to live with this.

She was all smiles as the nurse helped him back in bed, but as soon as that nurse left the room he said to her. "Beth, I don't want ya here no more. Ya didn't sign on for this. Can't imagine it's gonna get much better. Ya have Merle come get ya, ya go on home, ya pack, and ya use that debit card ta get ya on the first plane home."

And she'd started to cry, told him how much she loved him, and she didn't care what he looked like, he was still Daryl and she'd never love anyone else. And he pushed the call button, and he told the nurse he wanted her out of his room, for good.

Beth was devastated. She went down to the hospital lobby and she called Merle and told him what had happened. He said he'd be right on his way. And then she called Shawn, and he said he'd be there tomorrow.

Then she went back to that hotel and cried her eyes out, then her phone rang and it was Amy. Amy told her how it had been with Shawn, and how things had resolved after a lot of struggle. And she told Beth, "If you love Daryl, if you're sure you can look at him every day like he's still the most handsome man you've ever seen, and you can honestly say to yourself that it's never going to matter to you, and you know you love him and he's the only one in the world for you, then don't leave him Beth, don't give up. Remember, he's the one that needs to work through this. You've accepted him, he needs to accept himself and accept that you love him."

That wasn't going to be easy. Daryl was already insecure about her love for him, this was going to make that insecurity worse. But Beth was determined, she was not going to lose Daryl.

xxxx

Merle arrived at the hospital just before 9pm, he was exhausted from a long day of work and worry, and had planned to enjoy an evening with his family, not drive to Atlanta, but this family here, they needed him, and he was determined to do whatever he could to try and steer Daryl back on course.

He was relieved to see Daryl wide awake, he hadn't relished the idea of sitting around waiting for him, he was tired, he planned to say his peace, talk to Beth, get back in his car and drive home. Tomorrow was another big day at the shop.

"Well, well Little Brother, I never woulda pegged ya for the drama queen type. Thought you was the tough brother, the one that could handle real life and what it had ta dish out to ya, thought I was the weak one, using drugs n booze ta hide from it all. But dammit, I was wrong. Seems like once the shit gets down, you can't handle it no more, ya wanna be pitied. Fuck, I don't pity ya one bit. Ya got everythin' a man could want. Successful business, beautiful woman that loves ya, nice place ta live, and all the toys a boy could want. So now what? Ya ain't pretty no more so you're gonna push yer woman away? The same woman that's been here with ya day n night, the same woman that saved yer fuckin' life that day at the creek, cradled yer bloody head in her lap while she shot our dumbass father and threw a knife to his gut so he couldn't finish ya off? Any other man would feel honored n proud ta have a woman like that, but not my baby brother, oh no, that ain't enough for him. Trust me kid, if that woman falls outta love with ya, it ain't gonna be because ya ain't handsome n dashing no more, it's gonna be cuz yer nuthin' but a selfish little pussy."

Merle breathed in deeply and said, "I always been so proud of ya Daryl n now for the first time I gotta say, I'm mighty disappointed." Merle turned, left the room and just leaned up against that wall for a minute to steady his thoughts. He was hoping to God he'd done the right thing.

He hadn't noticed the nurse standing there until now, and they made eye contact. "What you said to him in there? That was really harsh, but he needed to hear it, let's hope he takes it to heart." Merle gave her a weak smile and a nod of the head.

He called Beth from the lobby and told her he tried to get through to Daryl and he hoped at least some of what he said did. He promised to call her the next day, and asked her to please be patient for a couple of days before she made a move to leave. She reminded him, "Merle, I told you, I love Daryl, I'm not going anywhere."

Merle went to his car and made the drive back home, he needed to see Carol.

xxxx

Otis had driven Shawn all the way to Salt Lake City so he could try to make that midnight non-stop flight to Atlanta, and he did, right by the skin of his teeth. With the time change, it was 6:35am when they touched down. The only thing he'd brought with him was a small back pack with one change of clothes, his toothbrush and a comb. He wasn't staying long.

He had no desire to try and navigate the city of Atlanta in a rental car, so he took a cab to the hospital. He walked into Daryl's room at 7:25am. Daryl was drinking a milky looking breakfast through a straw. When he looked up and saw Shawn he was more than a little surprised.

"Geez, I'm sorry to see you again under these circumstances, I was hoping it would be something far more pleasant, a wedding maybe. I gotta tell you Daryl, you look rough, you look just like a guy that got beaten practically to death. I bet it hurts too. When that horse kicked me I thought there could never be any pain greater than that, of course that was before I watched my sweet little wife go through natural childbirth, then I knew what real pain was, and she didn't even scream. Hell, I would have been yelling my head off and demanding some meds." And he laughed softly at the memory, as Daryl just continued to look at him.

"You know, back in the day I was considered the best looking guy in Sublette County, Wyoming. Oh I was a lady killer in High School, I broke more than one heart. Then I went on the rodeo circuit and things got even better, don't forget, I'm a top hand with a horse." And again he paused and chuckled.

"You ever hear of Buckle Bunnies Daryl? They're like cowboy's groupies. Oh man, those are some pretty little cowgirls who just follow you around like you're a damn rock star. They'll do anything for you, and oh yeah, the sex, they can't wait to just give themselves to the guy that won the last go round, and I was that cowboy quite often. Then I met my match, the prettiest little barrel racer in the world, Amy Harrison. I was done for, I couldn't even look at another gal after that, she was it for me." And he smiled broadly at the memories.

"The best part was, she loved me too. She thought I hung the moon. And we were the power couple of the circuit, everyone wanted to rub elbows with me and Amy, talk to us, buy us beers, ah it was great, our glory days. Then that damn horse kicked me in the head and my world went to shit in a hurry. You think you're ugly? Shit, you can't hold a candle to my kinda ugly, hell I'm still uglier than you." And that seemed to really get him going and he started to laugh.

"When I saw myself in that mirror, I knew I was uglier and a lot more scary than any movie monster ever could be. I disgusted myself. I told Amy I didn't want her anymore, didn't love her, never had, that it had all been just a big game to me. Oh yeah, I went from being top hand to being top asshole in a hurry." He paused and took a deep breath.

"The hell of it was, she didn't want to give up on me. She can be a stubborn one my Amy. She wouldn't budge. And I wouldn't either. Three months later I finally came to my senses and realized how lucky I was. The prettiest little barrel racer in the world still loved me, still wanted me, no matter what. That Daryl, that's the definition of true love and if you have that, you have everything you're ever going to need." Daryl just continued to stare at the man.

"You know, if I was Beth, I'd tell you to fuck off, tell you I deserved better than a self-centered bastard like you, a big baby who can't take the heat. But the thing is, your girl and mine? They're not like that, they're not quitters like me and you. They'll fight to the end. So I guess what I'm telling you is, it's all on you. You either love and want my little sister, and you've got the balls to admit that to yourself and to her, or you're just a dumb son of a bitch who doesn't deserve to be happy. Totally your call cowboy."

And he stood from the seat he'd taken, patted Daryl on his good shoulder and said, "Now I'm gonna go take my sister out to breakfast, then I'm gonna catch a few z's. I wish you a speedy recovery Daryl, and I hope you'll be able to pull that ugly head of yours back outta your ass."

 **A/N I'd say both brother's gave Daryl a lot to think about, we'll see how he does. Thanks so much for reading, please review xo**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N Let's see if our man can get that head out of that place, oh, and we'd better check on his recovery too :)**

Daryl

He'd just laid there while his brother spoke. He'd been wishing he could jump out of that bed, get on that motorcycle and never look back, but that wasn't going to happen.

Merle didn't have to tell him, he knew his brother was disappointed in him, but fuck, he couldn't ask Beth to stay with him. He'd never thought he deserved her in the first place, and now, well now he was some kind of grotesque blob and he sure as hell wasn't gonna let her spend her life looking at that, no matter how disappointed his brother was in him.

He'd slept fitfully last night, so on top of every other fucking thing going on, he felt grouchy.

He was just drinking that liquid crap they called breakfast when her brother had shown up. He barely knew Shawn, and Shawn barely knew him, but he supposed they had something very big in common, they both loved Beth.

He really felt like an ass when Shawn told his story. First the guy had to travel a helluva a ways just to get here, and he figured it couldn't be easy to bring up all that stuff he'd been through. He was real glad Shawn and Amy were happy and all, but that wasn't gonna be him and Beth. Beth was gonna find a better man than he'd ever be.

Daryl felt restless and out of sorts the rest of the morning, and he didn't have to worry about anyone coming to see him, no one did. They were probably all sick a looking at his ugly mug. Oh yeah, he knew he was drowning in self-pity, but damn, this sucked big time.

A young fresh faced guy came in the room to take blood. He wondered what the fuck they did with all the blood they took outta him, geez, were they hell bent on draining him dry?

Of course the guy started to chat while he did his job, everyone always wanted to chat. "Man you're kind of famous around the hospital you know, true story. Okay, maybe it's not really you, it's your wife. Geez they've been showing her picture and telling her story every time the news comes on. And the Internet, man the story went viral. You got lucky when you found her, she's not just pretty, but what a badass, not only saved you from your father killing you, but saved herself from him raping and killing her. They did say it was you who taught her how to use that throwing knife, whatever, how many girls could do that? Or guys for that matter. She's the kind of chick they make those superhero movies about." He finished up what he was doing and said, "Okay, all done, tell Beth if she has a sister to send her my way." And he laughed as he walked out of the room.

And Daryl thought about what she'd done, that she'd used that gun and she'd thrown that knife trying to protect him, but this was the first he'd heard about the ol' man wanting to rape her, Merle hadn't said anything about that, probably didn't wanna get him more pissed.

And his mind wandered and he thought about how miserable he'd been when she'd stayed in Wyoming and he'd come home alone. And he remembered how it made him feel the first time they made love, and the first time she told him that she loved him. And he thought, maybe he could have her a little longer, that she'd hang around at least until he went home, and then when things were day to day again, she'd probably decide that she couldn't do it anymore, and he'd deal with it then. But for now, she said she wanted him, and he damn sure wanted her, and he just needed her here with him. So he took a deep breath, he picked his phone up and he texted her, "I'm sorry baby, I know I'm an asshole, and an ugly one at that, but please come. Please, I love you."

He didn't hear back, and now he was really wallowing in it. He closed his eye, and wished he could just go to sleep and never wake up. He was laying there feeling even more sorry for himself when he felt her squeeze his hand, and she whispered, "I'm here, and I love you too."

And he opened that eye, and he looked at her, and asked, "Ya sure Beth, ya sure I ain't repulsive to ya?"

"Please Daryl, don't ask me again, believe me when I tell you, you're my everything. I love you and I don't want anyone but you." And she saw a tear role out of his eye.

They were both just quiet, she held his hand and he squeezed hers every few seconds. Then she pulled her chair as close to the bed as possible, and she laid her head there by his chest. He moved his hand to rest there on her head, as he slowly rubbed little patterns with his thumb through her hair. That seemed to be the only movement in the room.

About an hour later the surgeon walked in. Daryl liked the guy, he had a real straightforward, no nonsense approach. Daryl appreciated the lack of bullshit.

"So Daryl, I've heard some things from one of the nurses, and I want you to know, you've wounded my pride, and really taken a low blow at my professional abilities."

Daryl was more than a little confused, he responded, "Huh?"

"I remember that first night I saw you. You don't remember because you were unconscious. Your wife was kind enough to show me some photos of you she had on her phone, so I know you're a good looking guy. And I didn't say 'were,' I said 'are.' Because I pride myself on having the skill to restore your face so you look just like you did before this damage was done to you. If I didn't have that confidence in my skill, I'd change professions. Oh sure, the plastics guys get all the glory, but when someone has major facial trauma, as you've suffered, it's an Oral Maxillofacial surgeon that puts them back together."

"I don't typically make promises to patients and their families, and not everyone is as fortunate as you, but you got lucky, I was on call when you were brought to the hospital, and I'm the best at what I do. How's that for surgeon's ego? Of course, you're doing your best to destroy my ego while I'm doing my best to restore your face. That doesn't seem fair Daryl, not at all. If you want me to continue to work my magic, I'd better start seeing quite a bit more gratitude. Do we have a deal?"

He didn't know how to respond, so he said, "Sorry Doc, yeah, we got a deal, and thanks."

"That's what I want to hear! It's just going to take time Daryl, you have to be patient. Your skin is raw, bruised, swollen and it needs even more time to recover than the rest of your body. I'll be doing surgery again in the morning. We're going to do one last bone graft, a piece of cake for a guy like me, any questions?"

"Nah, sounds good."

"Okay my man, I'll see you bright and early in the OR." And he turned to Beth, "Mrs. Dixon, good to see you again. I saw you on the news the other night, you're quite the woman, Daryl is a very lucky man to have you and me taking care of him." And he left the room.

Daryl was overwhelmed, he could hardly believe what he'd heard. He didn't think he was particularly good looking before, and he sure hadn't wanted to look worse, so this all sounded really great to him. And he was thinking, shit, it took three people to tell me what a dumbass I am before I came to my senses.

But something else was on his mind, everyone seemed to refer to her that way, and a little embarrassed he asked, "Beth, did we get married and I don't remember it?"

And she couldn't help herself, she started to laugh. "In the eyes of Merle Dixon we did. It started off with the paramedics, he told them I was your wife so I'd be the one to ride in the ambulance with you, and then in the ER the paramedics told the hospital staff when we checked in. It's the little white lie that keeps on giving."

"Oh, well good, cuz it ain't like I wouldn't marry ya in a heartbeat, but I'd sure like ta remember sumthin' about the weddin'." And as he said it, he was wondering why he'd never asked her. Shit, he was the world's biggest dumbass. He made up his mind right then, if things went as well as the surgeon thought they would, he'd ask her. But, he'd better wait, because you know, maybe she'd change her mind and all.

Beth

She couldn't believe it when he'd sent her away. Of course the first person she'd called was Merle. He'd been a rock for her since this all started, he'd made sure it was her who got to be there with Daryl, he'd taken care of every detail, he'd made her eat, made her sleep, he'd even called her boss and told him she wouldn't be back anytime soon and why that was. Her boss had told him to just have her call him when she was ready. She hoped this man who had done so much for her would be able to set his brother straight.

Then she'd called Shawn. He'd known this would happen, she hadn't believed it at the time, but Shawn had been so right.

She was so grateful to both brothers, they'd both given it their best shot.

She'd had a lot of time to think while she waited out what she hoped was a temporary meltdown. She knew Daryl wasn't the self-assured guy he'd come across as at first. She knew he had doubts about her, her commitment to him, but she thought they had finally moved past that, "settled in" to being a couple, and all that entailed. But now, after what had happened, she had a much clearer picture of why Daryl had the doubts and insecurities he did.

The truth of the terrible hate and violence Daryl had been brought up with rose back up and nearly killed him, and no doubt, if given the chance, would have killed her.

She prided herself on being a good person, and always seeing the good in others, but honestly, there was no good to be found in Will Dixon. As far as she was concerned he was the devil himself and she'd kill him with her own hands if she could. She felt no guilt or shame in that thought.

When she'd gotten that text from him she'd started to cry, but these were tears of relief mixed with tears of joy. She didn't even take the time to text him back, she'd just splashed some water on her face, grabbed her small backpack, and run the block to the hospital. All she could think of was seeing Daryl, of touching Daryl, of being near him.

And now he'd said the thing, you know, the thing, about marrying her in a heartbeat. Her own heart had skipped a beat. She hadn't been able to respond in any way, except to smile at this man she knew now that she never wanted to live without.

Two Months Later

They'd been home now two weeks and every day seemed to get a little easier for Daryl. Physically he was gaining back a lot of strength. He still took a short nap every morning, and a little longer one in the afternoon, but with the wires off his jaws he was finally able to eat again. That had helped both his physical strength, and his disposition.

And the fact that they were back in bed together, and that they were once again making love, made both of them just a whole lot happier.

His face was so much better. He now looked very much like himself, but he was still bruised, quite red and still swollen, and he still had to keep his eye covered. The good news was, he could see the vast improvement, and he finally felt he had a solid reason to hope.

He'd started to look at jobs with Beth's help. She'd drive him to meet the contractors on job sites, and try to just hang back while Daryl talked to them, of course they'd all seen her on the news, and they all had to tell her how great she was, and tell Daryl how lucky he was. It was so embarrassing to her, although Daryl seemed to get a big kick out it all.

Finally they'd talk to Daryl about the work, and he'd take his measurements, and make his quick sketches. Then they'd go home and he'd work in his office for a while.

Beth could tell how much happier he was, but now that she wasn't working, and wasn't sure when she'd be going back, if ever, she needed an outlet too. So over lunch she mentioned it, "Would you mind if I started doing some serious gardening on the property? I'm not talking a few flowers, or a couple of plants, I'm talking about a full-on vegetable garden, and even a greenhouse so I can garden and grow us fresh food all year long. It's something I've thought I'd like to do for a long time. At the 8000 foot elevation I lived in on the ranch, that includes a very short 59 day growing season, it was never really in the cards. But now I live here and it'll be perfect. With the hunting, and the gardening, we'd be practically self-sufficient."

"Baby, I've told ya before, and I meant it, this is yer place too, that's the way I feel about it. Now, if yer askin' me do I like the idea, I think it sounds great, I like the idea of us being self-sufficient, and I gotta say, you'd be the prettiest farmer I ever saw." And he was also thinkin', damn, if she's gonna take on a project like that, she must be plannin' on hangin' around a while. "Take the debit card and get what ya need. I do a lot of building and woodworking, but I don't know nuthin' about buildin' a greenhouse. I know they got every manner a those ready-made ones, check those out, if they ain't any good, we'll get a guy ta build one, sound alright?"

"Oh thank you Daryl, I'm so excited! This is going to be great!" And she wrapped him in a big warm hug and gave him a kiss that let him know just how happy she was.

"Well since you're in such an agreeable mood, I'll bring up another idea I have. Now this isn't for right now, this is for long after you get all healed up and have had plenty of opportunity to catch up with your work and everything else I know you feel pressured to get done. Besides, I'm going to be very busy setting up my farm!" And she laughed a little.

"So are ya gonna tell me what this idea is, or do I gotta guess?" He asked with a smile.

"Don't be a smart aleck Daryl, I'm trying to build up to that," and she stuck her tongue out at him. "How would you feel about getting horses? We have room for a stable with a tack room, and a corral. It's something we could design together. A couple's project." And now she beamed that big old smile at him.

She hurriedly added, "I was just thinking two horses for now, one for each of us, although I'd plan on enough room for four, you know, just in case. Anyway, I could teach you to be a real cowboy, roping and riding, and we'd be able to pack up the horses and head out for a week of camping and hunting if we wanted to."

"Damn Beth that is an awesome idea! Man, I'm excited about that, it sounds like something we can have a lotta fun with together. I'll be anxious to get goin' on our designing and building project. Thanks Baby, I love havin' ya do my thinkin' for me," and believe it or not, Daryl Dixon was grinning ear to ear.

But then he thought about something, "I don't get what ya mean by, 'enough room for four, ya know, just in case'. What's that about?"

"Oh, well, ummm," and that face of hers was definitely a deep red, "I was just thinking about the future and stuff, you know, in case we ever had some kids, we'd probably get them horses too."

And Daryl was stunned, but in a real good way, and now his neck was pink as he responded, "Oh, yeah, good thinkin', yer right."

One Month Later

The improvement in Daryl was remarkable. The Doc said one more month and he'd be better than new. And he had a big plan for that one month down the line, he was going to do it, he was going to get the ring and he was going to take her to Savannah for the weekend and he was going to pop that question over a bottle of wine on the beach.

But in the meantime, there in his home office working on plans for one of his favorite contractors, the phone rang. "Baby brother, I need ya now, Carol's in labor, Sophia, well, I ain't gonna leave her here alone. Can Beth come for her? Maybe she could stay at yer place a couple days?"

"Hell yeah, no problem, congratulations Merle, this is excitin', I'ma tell Beth right now. Good luck and drive careful!"

He went out to the yard where Beth was working her sweet little ass off on her garden. "Hurry on in and get cleaned up real quick Beth, Carol's in labor n they need ya ta get on over there and get Sophia. She's gonna stay with us for a couple days. Hope that's okay, I already said yes, sorry."

She was rushing to the house with a big smile on her face, she pulled off her garden shoes and quickly went to the kitchen sink, "Of course it's okay, my gosh, not only will I love having her here, but my God, we could never repay Merle and Carol for all the ways they helped us. Well everybody really. You know what we should do Daryl? After you get all healed next month, we should throw a big party, right here, have the employees and the customers, everyone, for barbeque and beer, doesn't that sound fun?"

"Damn Baby, you got more good ideas than anyone I know, that sounds damn fun, let's make some plans." And he leaned over and kissed her like there were plenty more kisses coming later.

"Okay handsome, I'm off, be back soon," And she gave him that smile. And he wanted to punch himself for almost letting that woman go. Sometimes he could be such an idiot.

Eight hours later they got the call from Merle, it was a girl. They'd named her Grace and planned to call her Gracie. Daryl could tell Merle was in love with that little one already, and he'd said they could all come over to the hospital and have a look at her, and that's just what they did.

 **A/N Daryl's almost healed up and he has big plans. Merle and Carol have a new baby, and Beth has new projects. See you next chapter, we'll party! Thanks so much for reading, please review xo**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N Thank you all for reading my story, following and commenting. You make my day. Let's have a party, and maybe a little something special.**

They had been planning the big party for a couple of weeks now. They'd invited Daryl's employees and their wives or significant others, all of the top contractor's Daryl did business with and their spouses/s.o.'s, plus a couple of the vendors and a designer that regularly used Daryl on his projects.

It was going to be a pretty large gathering, so they rented a party tent where they planned to set up the food and beverages. They'd also rented tables and chairs, umbrellas, and one of Daryl's contractor friends had given him the name of a guy who specialized in outdoor work. They'd had a very fancy outdoor kitchen built with a grill, sink, bar refrigerator and wine refrigerator, plus, of course, a bar. At first Daryl had worried it was a little extravagant, but then he decided it would be something they'd enjoy for years.

The final thing they'd decided to do was hire a steel drum band, and they'd rented a small dance floor. Beth felt the island music would put everyone in a party mood, while not interfering with conversations.

This party was going to cost plenty, but they felt it was worth it, and much of it would actually be paid for by Daryl's business. They wanted to thank everyone who had been so patient during Daryl's long recovery, and the guys and Jacqui had really held the business together. It would be great to show their gratitude by giving everyone a little over the top party fun.

Beth cooked for two days. He'd wanted her to hire a catering company, but she felt like she should do it herself, that would be more special. However, he had been successful in getting her to hire two women to actually serve the food and do the clean-up, and he'd hired someone to tend bar. He wanted Beth and himself to be able to host the party and talk to the guests.

He'd made enough pulled pork for a small army, but he figured they'd all come hungry. Beth had made cole slaw, potato salad, macaroni n cheese, beans and cut up a couple of watermelons. Plus dessert: brownies, cookies, two cakes, and two pies. Of course, there were also tons of chips and dips, crackers and cheese, and Daryl had smoke cooked plenty of stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon.

They'd also fully stocked the bar, Daryl was sure there was no way all the alcohol could be consumed in one day. There was even a full keg of beer. They had plenty of sodas and ice tea for mixers and for the non-drinkers.

They'd laughed that if anyone went home from this party hungry or thirsty, it was their own damn fault.

He told her that on Sunday morning, after the big party, he was taking her to Savannah for three nights, just so she could relax and they could be alone. At first she'd protested, saying he'd just gotten back to work and she certainly hadn't earned a vacation, that she could wait. He'd insisted, saying it meant too much to him and he'd be disappointed if they didn't go, so she agreed.

They also agreed that the night before the party they'd take the time to just relax and enjoy a bottle of wine on the sofa, like they'd loved doing since they first met.

For a guy who'd spent all day cooking a ton of meat and a bushel of peppers, Daryl was feeling decidedly mellow, and definitely happy. The last thing he'd done before he left work Thursday was call her Dad.

He started off asking Hershel Greene how he was doing, how was everything on the ranch, small talk, then the feisty old man said, "Daryl, you have never called me for any reason whatsoever, am I supposed to believe you're calling me now just to chat?"

And Daryl had to laugh; he was so not the kind of guy who'd call anyone just to chat. "No sir, that ain't quite it, just was thinkin' I should start off with small talk then say what I's really callin' about."

"Well son, my wife is going to have supper on the table in about 10 minutes, and I think you know, I'm not the kind of guy who's stupid enough to be late to my wife's table. So, why don't you go ahead and cut to the chase?"

"Okay sir, I'm callin' cuz I wanna ask ya for yer daughter's hand. I wanna ask Beth ta marry me in a couple days, but I wanna do this right, so I'm comin' ta you first." Daryl took a deep breath and tried to slow his heartbeat.

"Well it's about damn time; I was starting to think you were never going to make an honest woman of my daughter. She calls her Mother twice a week going on about what a great guy you are and how in love you two are, and frankly, I was getting ready to come to Georgia and bring her home if you weren't willing to step up. And yes, you have permission, and thank you because when I tell my wife she is going to be thrilled. Have Beth give us a call after you ask. And Daryl, bring my daughter home for a visit soon."

Daryl thanked him and promised that he would. He had the little box hidden in his suitcase, and now that he had the go ahead from her Dad, he couldn't wait to ask her. As much as he was looking forward to the big party tomorrow, he was looking forward to Sunday night on the beach even more.

xxxx

The party was in full swing and everyone seemed to be having a great time. It was also a day full of pleasant and interesting surprises. It seemed to him that Jacqui had been with him since before he owned the shop, she was a constant in his life and he depended on her for so many things, and yet, he was embarrassed now, realizing he had never seen her socially, so meeting her husband for the first time today, he'd been just a little surprised. The guy was the size of a small mountain, a big burly Scotsman named Angus with an accent as thick as the day is long, and arms like tree trunks. Daryl got a kick out the fact the guy was quiet, shy, and just seemed interested in making sure Jacqui was enjoying herself.

He'd met Oscar's wife Pearl a few times, she was a tiny woman who was always smiling up at him and who he knew spoiled Oscar. He'd seen the lunches the guy brought to work. But he also saw how Oscar kept his arm around her protectively, and pulled her in for a hug quite often. He knew Caesar's wife Karen, she was real sweet too, they'd been married since they were in high school, but they still seemed like they just fell in love.

And Axel, everyone had wondered about him, no one except Oscar had ever seen Axel's wife, and Axel never spoke about her. Oscar had once told him she was a real sweet girl, but real shy and seemed perfectly content to just stay home with their daughter and take care of Axel and the girl.

Axel introduced him to her. Lilly was a lot younger than her husband for sure. Very quiet, and timid, what Daryl thought of as painfully shy. She held Axel's hand, whispered to him when she wanted something, and for his part, Axel seemed attentive and happy to just hold her hand and get her whatever she needed.

He hadn't known if the designer, Eric, would show up or not, he seemed to have appreciated the invitation, and he told Daryl he'd like to come, but he asked quite frankly, "Are you sure Aaron and I will be welcome, you know, by everyone?" Until that moment, Daryl hadn't even given it a thought, but he felt confident in his crew, they were a good bunch a people, and he didn't think there was going to be a problem. Sure enough, everyone seemed to get along fine.

The ladies seemed to be mostly drinking wine, while the beer was definitely a hit with most of his crew.

Merle just couldn't put that baby down, she'd stolen his heart for sure. He was the only one at the party who'd brought their kids. He packed the baby around in one arm, and had his other arm around Sophia, introducing them both to the rest of the crew and their s.o.'s.

He watched Beth move around the group chatting with everyone, and smiling that big beautiful Beth smile. Merle did let her hold the baby for a few minutes, but for the most part, he was just plain stingy with Gracie.

Daryl didn't think, no wait, Daryl knew, he'd never seen his brother so happy. When he thought about Merle's life before and during prison, and he saw the life Merle had lived since prison, he was so proud. Sure Merle had done wrong for years, but Merle hadn't ever had a good example of how a person could live and get by as a sober, contributing member of society. Merle had done the things he'd done to survive the only way he knew how. Daryl knew he'd gotten lucky. If Dale Horvath hadn't grabbed him by the shirt collar when he caught him stealing gas 20 years ago, he'd a probably taken the same wrong turn Merle had. So no, Daryl didn't fault his brother for the life he'd lead, Daryl was proud of Merle.

The contractors and their wives seemed to fit in just great with his guys and Jacqui. Oh most of them knew his crew, but their wives/girlfriends didn't. He and Beth had worried a little about that, if they were trying to mix too many different types, but it didn't seem to be a problem, everyone was having fun, drinking a little, eating a lot, mingling with one another. Heck, even Daryl had made it a point to mingle. Let's face it, mingling was definitely not in his typical behavior pattern, but this was a "thank you" party and that's what he intended to do, thank everyone there for their support and loyalty.

Once everyone got in the swing of things, the dancing began. He'd wondered about renting that dance floor, but Beth told him with the band and the beers, people just might get in the mood, and she'd been right. He was having a blast just watching the crazy dance moves of some of his guys. Oscar with Pearl, and Axel with Lily, Daryl was thinking they all must have gone to the same dance school, because no matter what the band played, they'd just be there with the guys arms wrapped around their wives shoulders, and the wives arms wrapped around their husbands waists, barely swaying to the sounds. They all seemed content as could be. Jacqui and the big Scot, they had the moves, you would have thought that big boy was from the islands.

Now Daryl wasn't a dancer, he never wanted to dance. If he had his choice, dancing would have never been invented. But he knew Beth, he knew she'd like to have a few dances, so he sucked it up as best he could, and tried not to make too big an ass of himself. She seemed happy, and he supposed that was all that counted.

Daryl vowed he'd never question Beth again about such things, if she said they should have a band and a dance floor, they'd have a band and a dance floor.

The party had started at noon, and it was well after nine when the last guests left. Daryl had worried a little about the drinking and the driving, but everyone seemed to have made arrangements ahead of time. Most had either been dropped off and picked up by their teenage kids, or their babysitting parents. Daryl had noticed Axel and Lilly didn't drink and they'd given Oscar and Pearl a ride.

It had been a great party, and they were so glad they'd done it, but that didn't mean they weren't happy when it was over. They collapsed on the couch and smiled at each other. "You're quite the host Mister Dixon, and may I just say thank you so much for insisting I hire two women to help me. Oh my gosh, they were just so efficient, and look, no messes! Yay!"

Boy he wished he could call her Mrs. Dixon, soon he hoped. "Thank you Ms Greene, but I think you get 99% of the credit for the party. You hit the nail on the head with the band and the dance floor, and the food, baby, that was awesome. Thank you Beth. Of everyone I thanked today, you have been my biggest supporter. I couldn't have made it through this bullshit of the last few months without you."

xxxx

Considering the magnitude of the party they'd just put on, they both woke early Sunday morning excited to begin their vacation.

Daryl loaded the bags in the car, along with a couple of sacks of groceries and a cooler with meat and four bottles a wine, plus a bottle of champagne he was smuggling. They had some beach gear, back rest chairs, an umbrella, and big towels.

He'd told Beth he actually rented a beach house on Tybee Island, just 20 minutes from the Historic District in Savannah. "I wanted us to be able to walk right out on the sand. This is about just you n me Baby, relaxin', and just lovin' on n enjoyin' each other. Sound okay?" She'd smiled, "No Daryl, that doesn't sound okay at all, that sounds perfect."

The small house was ideal. It had a great little front porch with a couple of comfortable chairs, and a small grill. Step off that porch, walk through that little gate, and you were on the beach.

The house itself had a compact kitchen, just fine for the small amount of cooking they'd do, a cozy living room with overstuffed furniture and a well-stocked bookcase, a nice airy bedroom with a big bed and lots of pillows, and an attached bathroom with clawfoot tub and separate shower. He was hoping at some point Beth would be willing to get in that tub with him.

They were unpacked and on that beach in 30 minutes flat. Beth looked gorgeous in that sweet but sexy two piece suit. It had a modest cut considering the current "almost naked" style, but the fact that it covered her, actually made it far more alluring than one of those string things.

She thought Daryl was the most handsome hunk of man ever to grace the beach. Oh sure he was covered with scars, but that didn't detract from a body that was fit, tight, and oh so muscle bound. She could look at that physique forever. And then, there was the ruggedly handsome face. He had no idea how good looking he was, and that was kind of part of the appeal. He wasn't one of those full-of-himself-pretty-boys. No, Daryl Dixon was all real man.

They'd each grabbed a book from the bookcase, and they read and dosed before getting up and heading to the water. Beth was nervous to go out far. "I'm not much of a swimmer. They made us learn in school, but I haven't really swum much in a few years. I think I'll stick mostly to splashing around." She did let Daryl hold her and take her out a little ways, and she didn't mind at all when his hand slid down the back of her suit and he caressed her bottom while giving her a very passionate kiss. "If you're going to keep up that sort of behavior Mister Dixon, you're going to have to take me back to that pretty little bedroom."

"That's my plan Ms. Greene; in fact, I'd say right now seems like the perfect time." He continued to carry her in his arms back to the beach towels where they quickly dried off. He held the oversized towel around her while she slipped out of her suit, and then wrapped it around herself, and hung her suit over the porch railing to dry.

Daryl looked quickly around, dropped his suit, and then wrapped a towel around himself.

They dashed in the little bungalow, but Daryl didn't wait until they got to the bedroom, he dropped his towel, slid the towel off her, then picked her up again and carried her to the bed.

xxxx

They'd initiated the bed, had a nice nap, and while Beth was making a salad, Daryl was grilling a couple of steaks.

They enjoyed their meal with a bottle of wine on the little front porch. They'd had a great day and it was a beautiful evening. Daryl had gone back and forth with himself a lot, for months really, about asking her to marry him. He'd decide he would, then decide he shouldn't, and on and on.

He was so ready now, he knew he wanted her to be his wife, needed her to be really, and he was finally feeling confident she wanted him just as much. Tonight was the night, he wasn't going to let anything stop him.

He offered to clean the dinner mess, she wanted to help but he'd said, "We hardly dirtied anything Baby, it's gonna take me 10 minutes. You enjoy the rest a yer wine, I'll be right back."

He quickly put the champagne in the fridge, did the dishes in record time, and went in the bedroom, he put the little box in the zip pocket on the leg of his cargo pants.

He went back to the porch, she'd been staring out and the water, but looked up when she heard him and flashed a big smile, "This is so lovely. Thank you so much for insisting we come. What a wonderful idea."

"I'm happy yer enjoyin' it Baby, do ya feel like takin' a little walk down the beach?"

"Sounds great, let's do it."

They were holding hands, strolling along the beach, neither one feeling the need to talk, they were just enjoying each other's company , the moonlight, and the peaceful sounds of the small waves.

Daryl stopped walking, and pulled her toward him. He gave her a long hug, and then a tender kiss, he held her face in his hands and he looked into those big blue eyes. "I love ya so much Beth. I never in my life thought I'd ever have a woman that I loved and who loved me. Someone to build a life with. You're everything ta me, I can't imagine my life without ya, it just wouldn't be a life I'd want ta live."

And he got down on one knee and reached his hand in that pocket. "I love ya, I want ya, I promise ta be true to ya Beth until the day I die, I'ma take care a you, support ya, be a husband, a friend, a lover, a Daddy to our children. I ain't ever gonna hurt ya, not physically, not any way at all. Will ya marry me Beth? Make my life complete?" He slipped the beautiful ring on her finger. It was simple setting, a square cut solitaire diamond set on yellow gold.

She was shaky and crying, that made him worry, but she looked at him so sweetly and said, "I want you to know Daryl Dixon, you are the most amazing person I have ever known. I saw firsthand what horror you grew up in. I thought I knew it all just from the scars, but that's just the tip of the iceberg, I learned the truth that horrible day you got so badly hurt. You worked so hard to get an education, acquire a business and become a big success. People know how terrific you are. That's why your employees give you all they've got, and your clients are willing to hold up jobs until you're available to do them. But besides all that, what I know is, you're the kindest man, the most caring man, the most thoughtful and attentive lover. I love you so much Daryl, and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you. I promise to always be true to you, to never hurt you and to be a good Mother to our children. So yes, yes, yes. I will marry you."

He jumped up, wrapped his arms around her and spoke softly in her ear, "We're gonna have a good life together Beth, I promise. Damn Baby, I'm the happiest man in the world right now."

"And I'm the happiest woman in the world."

"Can I take ya back ta the house and buy ya a glass a champagne to celebrate?"

"Please do Mister Dixon."

 **A/N I hope you enjoyed the party and the proposal. I thank you so much for reading, please review xo**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N Thank you all so much, I appreciate your kind words, your faves, your follows and your PMs. This chapter we're going to have fluff, fun, decisions made, and problems resolved.**

While they were drinking their champagne he handed her his phone, "Ya gotta call yer Mom and Dad, Beth. I promised yer Dad."

"You talked to my Dad?" She couldn't imagine.

"Well yeah, 'course, I called him ta ask for yer hand." Daryl just shrugged.

She smiled widely, "Daryl Dixon, you will never stop surprising me. I had no idea you were such an old-fashion guy."

"Tryin' ta do the right thing Beth, I don't always know for sure what that is, but I try." He shrugged again. Oh my God, she loved the man so much.

She called Mom and Dad, then Maggie, and then he called Merle. Then they finished their champagne, he looked at her, smiled, and that neck got red when he asked, "Ya wanna see how we fit together in that bathtub?"

And she smiled back, her own cheeks a little rosy, and answered, "I was hoping you'd get around to asking me that."

xxxx

They talked about their wedding plans while still in Savannah, but now that they were home, he'd told her he'd really like to get the ball rolling, that he was anxious to be married to her. She loved that he said that because, honestly, she didn't want to wait long either.

The biggest decision was whether to get married here in Georgia, or go back to the ranch. He told her he'd be happy either way, he'd give her his two cents on every other decision that had to be made, but he said, "Baby, you're the one who made the big move to live here with me in Georgia. It's only fair that you get to decide whether we get married here, or there. I ain't gonna grouse either way, just want ta be your man for the rest a my life."

She smiled at him and then she did an old trick she'd learned years before about making decisions. She got her notebook out and she made two lists. One was her Georgia list, where she had one column that was pros, and one that was cons, in terms of how it would be for a wedding site.

The other was her Wyoming list, where she did the same, and then she compared her lists.

Surprisingly, the pros on her Georgia list were much longer. This was where her home was now, this was where her friends were. She had no close friends in Wyoming, although she certainly had her family, she knew they'd all travel to Georgia for the wedding, and it would be a great opportunity for them to see hers and Daryl's home. It would be much tougher on Daryl's only family, Merle, because of Gracie being so little. Shawn's two children were older, and had experience traveling by plane.

Plus, it would be so difficult to plan and execute a party from so far away. She'd miss not having her Mom here to help, but she would have Carol and Jacqui, and she'd be so much closer to Maggie. Maybe they could even plan to meet and shop for wedding dresses, and Maggie's Matron of Honor dress, in Atlanta.

She was decided, Georgia it was. She walked into Daryl's home office, where he was busily working at his drafting board, "Knock, knock do you have just a minute?"

"Sure Baby, I need a little break, I was just gonna grab a Coke. What 's up?" She loved that little crooked smile of his.

"I've decided, Georgia it is! Do you think two months is too soon?" She shrugged and smiled.

He gave her that little smile right back, "Hell Baby, I'm good with me n you rushin' ourselves down ta the courthouse right now n just doin' this thing, so no, two months sounds like more than enough time."

She walked over to him and kissed his cheek. "I'm thinking, why couldn't we just do the ceremony and the party right here at the house, we proved we can put on a pretty nice shindig, and I wouldn't mind at all having a little honeymoon on the beach, that was so nice, and private, and sexy."

"Don't be talking sexy right now Baby, yer man is tryin' real hard ta get some work done." And they both laughed.

"I think that sounds real good Baby.'Cept this time, ya ain't doin' none a the work, neither is your Mom, or Maggie or Carol. We're gettin' it catered n we're gettin' a bartender n what you n me are doin' is, we're getting' married then we're gonna party like we're the damn guests a honor. How's that for me helpin' with the weddin' plans?" There it was, that cute little smile.

"Well thank you so much Daryl Dixon, you're actually a big help. I guess I just plan it however I want and just start charging it all to you," And she gave him a poke to the ribs.

"Ya know it Baby, that's what I'm good for, signin' them checks!" And he gave her a big ol' hug n said, "Now go run up some damn bills, make me proud, I gotta finish these drawings for that new office complex in Atlanta."

xxxx

Carol and Gracie came for lunch and Carol helped her work on her guest list. All family was a given, and all the people who had been to their outdoor "Thank You" party, and Beth had some friends from the stable she wanted to invite. There were even a couple of people from the hospital in Atlanta they planned to ask, including the Doctor who had put Daryl's face back together.

Maggie would be Matron of Honor, Merle Best Man. Shawn's children, Molly and Sam, would be the Flower Girl and Ring Bearer, and Sophia would be the Junior Bridesmaid.

"Beth, you're very sweet, but please don't feel you have to include Sophia." Carol looked a little uncomfortable.

"Please Carol, I'm including Sophia because I want Sophia to be part of my wedding." And she spontaneously gave the woman a hug, "Carol, you, Merle, Sophia, Gracie, you're Daryl's family, that makes you my family."

Carol smiled back and said, "Thank you Beth, that's so nice to hear."

The next thing they talked about was what the invitation would look like, and what it would say. Beth was going to do them herself, with Daryl's help. She hadn't asked him yet, but she was sure he'd go along, she just wanted him to do the illustration. She'd type the copy in a nice font, then put it all together on the computer and print them out herself.

Carol said as soon as Beth had them printed, she and Sophia would come over and help address them all, Merle could watch Gracie.

She was meeting Maggie in Atlanta this coming weekend. Beth would pick her up Friday afternoon at the airport, she'd made hotel reservations for them for Friday and Saturday night. Jacqui had told her about all the best shops in Atlanta to look for a wedding dress. It turned out, Jacqui loved to go to Atlanta to shop, dine and dance, and Angus was more than happy to oblige.

She picked Maggie up and the fun began. It was so wonderful to just have some "sister time." They spent Friday evening out for a lovely dinner, then back to the hotel with a bottle of wine. They put their jammies on, poured some wine, and caught each other up on everything they'd been doing.

Saturday they got an early start visiting the bridal shops. Beth was looking for something pretty but not too formal. It was going to be a wedding in their yard, more countrified than gentrified.

The third shop they went to, she hit the jackpot. She'd found just what she had in mind. She loved it, she thought Daryl would too. She felt elated and relieved.

Beth didn't want Maggie to have to wear some terrible bridesmaid dress she'd want to burn, and she wanted to find dresses for Sophia and Molly that young girls might like to wear again. So, rather than a bridal shop, they headed to a department store.

Maggie found a pretty dress she loved, and Beth agreed, they found Sophia and Molly each what they thought would be the perfect dress. Then they both fell in love with a very fancy, very tiny party dress for Gracie. They bought shoes, tiny purses, fancy underwear, and - Boom! They were done!

They now shopped just for fun. It was the perfect day for sisters to spend together. Maggie had been so helpful, so supportive, and so excited for Beth. "I have to say Bethie, the second I saw the look in Daryl's eyes, when he looked at you, oh my gawd, and the way you looked at him, I knew, you two were meant to be. I don't know why you fought it so hard, but I sure am glad he beat you down." They laughed, locked arms, and headed back to the hotel with their purchases.

Back home, Daryl spent Saturday with Merle, Carol and the girls. He and Merle excused themselves to walk out to the yard. "How ya doin'? I know this is gonna be a tough week comin' up, but it's the right thing Little Brother, you'll be testifying against the biggest asshole you'll ever have the displeasure a meetin'. The best thing the man ever done was make you Daryl, but that was just good luck. He needs ta go ta prison, not just for this latest thing he done ta you, but for all the things he done ta you, ta Mama, ta me. Maybe there'll finally be some justice Little Brother, maybe just a little."

And Daryl had his head down, it reminded Merle of when his brother had been just a little fella, so beat down, physically and every other way, "I know yer right Brother, just was hopin' I's never gonna have ta set eyes on him again, n I never ever wanted Beth ta have ta look on him, but she'll have ta testify too. Don't get me wrong, we both wanna put him away, just wishin' we didn't have ta look at him ta do it."

"I know boy, I know, I'ma be sittin' in that courtroom the whole time, wish I could do this for ya, we just gotta get through this one more thing. Then I just got a feelin' everythin' is gonna fall in place."

And Daryl just nodded and responded, "Thanks brother."

Daryl was so relieved when she got home Sunday afternoon. It wasn't just that he was worried about her being in the big city, and it wasn't just that he'd missed her. Nah, what it was, he needed her, needed to be with her, needed her there with him. He wrapped his arms around her, and he hugged her tighter than usual, and he just didn't want to let go.

Beth could tell Daryl was tense, somehow needy and overwhelmed. She also knew him, knew it was best to wait on him to bring it up, and that's what she did.

He opened a bottle of wine and they sat on the back porch.

"When you're ready to talk Daryl, I'm ready to listen." She'd never know the comfort he felt having her there.

"Just got a little case a the blues I think Beth, I don't know how ta put it in words exactly. I want the ol' man ta suffer, ta pay for what he done, like Merle said, not just for what he just done ta me, and ta you, but what he done a lotta times ta me, n Merle n my Mama. It's just, I don't wanna have ta look at him again, not in court, not ever, just brings up more bad shit. And I'm angry that you have ta be there, that ya gotta look at him. I never wanted ya ta ever have ta lay eyes on the sumbitch ever. Then he done what he done, now ya gotta see him again. It's gettin' me down Beth. 'M sorry, this is supposed ta be a happy time for us."

She silently got up from her chair and walked over to him, she made a move to sit in his lap, and he opened his arms to her. She sat, put her arms around his neck, held him close, and quietly spoke, "It needs to be done, and we'll get through this Daryl. I can't even imagine how tough this must be for you, it makes my heart ache to think about it. Don't worry about me, I'm strong, and I'm going to stay strong for you. We'll get through this together. And you, my wonderful husband-to-be, have absolutely nothing to apologize for."

His arms went around her tighter, and he spoke to her, "Ah Baby, that does make me feel better. I got a heavy heart, but havin' ya here with me, that makes all the difference. I do know you're strong, wasn't sure you knew that. I know we'll get through it, he'll be outta our lives for good, we're gonna get married n have a good life. That's what I keep tellin' myself, I just got ta believe it more."

And that's how they sat, for a good ten minutes, just holding each other. Then he put his hands to her face, kissed her tenderly and said, "Tell me all about the plans you've made with everyone, n how yer big time in Atlanta with yer sister went." And he just smiled that crooked little smile.

"Okay, but just remember, you asked for it because I'm about to give you the play by play, except of course, I'm saying nothing about my dress, or Maggie's or Sophia's, or Molly's, and I'm not even going to tell you I bought Gracie a dress too. You'll find that out when the bill comes." She smiled, and he even let out a little laugh.

"See there Baby, I knew you'd make me proud."

And she gave him the rest of the story, and he was happy for the distraction, and he truly did love seeing how excited she got talking about everything. It took his mind right off the old man, and reminded him he had something positive to look forward to.

xxxx

He was scheduled to testify on Tuesday, depending on how long the cross examination went, she'd either be called Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning.

Merle, Oscar and Axel would be called after her, and then the paramedics and finally the doctor.

A photographer had taken several photos of both Daryl and Merle's torsos, as well as the backs of their legs. There were also several photos of Daryl's injuries the surgeon had taken, which he'd used to make his "model" of how the injuries would best be repaired.

The defense had no witnesses, they'd try to win their case by tripping up the prosecution witnesses on the cross examination. They'd all been well coached by the prosecution on what to expect.

There were several charges, the most serious was attempted murder.

The prosecuting attorney was a real go getter, he'd worked tirelessly on the case, not just because he believed in it, and took pride in a job well done, but the truth was, it was going to be a media darling. It had been in the news for weeks when it happened. Photos had gotten out, the story had been told over and over.

The prosecutor stood to really make a name for himself if he won, and if he lost, he'd be dealing with a tremendous backlash.

He'd dotted every "i" and crossed every "t." This was a career make it or break it.

The defense attorney had objected to Merle or Beth being in the courtroom while Daryl testified. So, they were in the courthouse, but they couldn't be in the courtroom and show the support they'd wanted to.

It was probably just as well. Merle might have kicked his Dad's and the defense attorney's asses. Daryl had just done as the prosecutor suggested, either look at him, the judge, or the jury, but never at his father or the defense attorney.

It had been tough, and he was shaken. He wasn't a person to speak in front of a crowd, and the topic was something he didn't want to think about, much less talk about. It was a tense and emotional situation, and all he could think about was how soon it could all be over. He mostly tried to keep his eyes on the prosecutor, looking at the bridge of his nose, just like Dale had taught him all those years ago. But just as his testimony concluded, he glanced over at the jury, two females were crying and one male had his head down and his hand over his eyes. He was glad he hadn't look sooner, he may have become more emotional.

When he came out of the courtroom Beth rushed to him and hugged him hard, while Merle put an arm around his shoulders. Daryl cried softly, but it was more a release of tension than sadness, and he felt oddly proud of himself, he'd done it, he'd made it.

But he was worried about Beth, she was next. He and Merle both hugged her. She was resolute. She was not going to let that S.O.B. who had nearly killed the love of her life get away with intimidating her. She was clear, she was honest, and she felt like right was on her side. She looked at the prosecutor, and she just tried to speak in a calm, steady voice, but she did have an emotional moment when she described finding Daryl bleeding and herself thinking he was dead. When she glanced over at the jury, she saw several of them were almost as emotional as she was. She didn't know if they'd seen the photos yet or not, but she knew they would.

She came out of the courtroom and she could swear Merle and Daryl were standing in the same spot as when she went in, both hugged her, Daryl told her how much he loved her, and even Merle said, "Love ya sis."

Merle would be called the next morning. He told them they didn't have to come, oh but they would. Merle, he felt all the things Daryl felt, and in an odd way even more. Because Merle had always felt guilty he couldn't protect his little brother, he felt guilty that he'd chosen what seemed to be the easy way out. Drugs. They'd dulled the pain for a couple of years, but then they'd become their own kind of prison.

But Merle, he was different than Daryl, it was easier for him to put up that "wall", to act tough, to project that bravado. But in the courtroom, when he described what he witnessed when he saw his brother, he almost lost it. He'd held it together, but it had been one of the tougher things he'd ever done. What he really wanted, was to tackle the mutherfucker responsible for all the trouble, all the pain, all the physical and emotional scars, and kill him with his bare hands.

He came out of that courtroom, Daryl and Beth both hugged him, he acted tough, like it was water off a duck's back, but they knew better. And they loved him, because they also knew, when Merle had your back, Merle would give his life to save yours.

Testimony concluded the end of the week, and the jury came back with their verdict early Monday morning. Guilty on all counts, Will Dixon would be going to prison. Oh he could appeal, but at least he'd go for a while. The sentencing hearing would be in two weeks, they all planned to be there including Carol, Sophia would be in school, and Jacqui was going to tend Gracie.

The day came, and they sat front row, the sentence was delivered, 25 to life. Even though they all wished he was dead, that would do.

* * *

 _One Week Later_

They were just two weeks from their wedding day. They were so relieved to have the trial behind them, and to have had the opportunity to work on their wedding and honeymoon plans.

Beth's family would all be arriving the week before the wedding. They'd rented a house in town, which seemed perfect.

Daryl was at his drafting board, putting the finishing touches on a drawing for the remodel of an apartment complex, when he received a call from the prosecuting attorney, his father had been stabbed to death in prison. Beth happened to walk in the office just as he disconnected from the call. He put his head down on the drafting board, and she immediately went to him, put her hand on his back, "Daryl, what happened, are you okay?"

"The son of a bitch is dead, he's dead, killed by a guy in prison, they ain't got a suspect." The thing was, Daryl knew who was behind this, he also knew he'd never let on, never say a word, because the man he was sure had engineered this, he had his faults, but that man loved Daryl and Daryl loved him.

"Baby, let's go for a ride on the bike. I wanna stop by and check on Merle, see how he's takin' this news, then let's just hit the highway for a couple hours, sound okay?"

"That sounds just right Daryl, I'm ready when you are."

 **A/N That started out fluffy, but it got a little heavy. Thank you for reading, please leave a review xo**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Thank you all so much, I appreciate all of your support for this story, followers and the guests, you guys make me smile! Lots going on here today - including a wedding!  
**

He needed to see his brother, he didn't plan to ask him anything about what had happened to their father, he never would, deep in his heart he knew, knew the moment he'd heard, he was certain. Sure, Merle was a changed man, he'd completely turned his life around since getting out of prison. He was a tireless worker, a loving and devoted husband and father, but Merle was always going to be Merle.

They came as close to sharing a hug as he and Merle ever did. In a low and gravelly tone, Merle said to him, "He's gone now Little Brother, he can't ever hurt ya again, yer safe now, that's all that matters. Sumbitch deserved what he got."

What struck Daryl was how Merle always put things just in the context of him, it was never about Merle's pain. Shit, Merle had endured the asshole's beatings for years before Daryl was even born. And Daryl would never forget all the times the old man had come after him, and how Merle had intervened and managed to shift the old man's attention from Daryl to himself, so he'd take Daryl's beatings. That was a kind of love that couldn't be measured.

He and Beth had taken that long bike ride, and he'd had a lot of time to think, clear his head. His heart was heavy, not really for the old man being dead. Nah, Merle was right, Will Dixon was a mean and miserable son of a bitch. But it saddened Daryl because, dammit, how could the man have done the things he'd done? How could anyone be so cruel and so heartless to his wife, to his children? He vowed to himself he would never be that man, never be capable of hurting Beth, hurting any child they may have. And he was going to make the effort to spend even more time with his brother. Get him out for more days of hunting and fishing, like they used to do. Oh they'd never be those touchy feely "communication is key" kind of brothers. They communicated in an entirely different way.

xxxx

For the life of her she didn't understand why Dad, Mom and everyone else, except of course Maggie and Glenn, decided to drive to Georgia. Even Otis and Patricia were coming.

It wasn't like they couldn't afford the airfare, or that any of them had a fear of flying.

Oh sure, the cows had all been moved to the forest, and it wasn't yet time to hay, they had Jimmy and a couple of other hands to get the irrigating done, but gee, it seemed like a long time to be gone, and an awfully long way to drive. Seriously? They were bringing two vehicles. Dad had a specially equipped Ford F-350, and Shawn was bringing his Chevy Silverado Dually. Well at least they'd be riding in style and comfort.

She'd spent countless hours planting yellow, green and white flowers all over the yard. There were pots of yellow and white flowers on both porches, hanging baskets of yellow flowers, and she'd planted them anywhere she could find a spot. That was her color scheme. It seemed to fit mid-May.

Carol had been so much help, she'd told Beth she loved to garden and wanted to help with the planting. They had set up a safe baby area on the front porch, where Gracie would be properly shaded, and the sweet little girl seemed perfectly content to just enjoy the great outdoors.

Daryl had gotten their stables done, but since they didn't have their horses yet, and it was still spotless, plus had a small half bath, a utility sink and air conditioning, they'd decided to set up the food in there, the caterers would be bringing lots of coolers, and amazing to Beth, a big range/oven. They also supplied all the dishes, flatware and linens to be used. Hiring caterers had definitely lightened Beth's workload and she would be forever grateful to Daryl for insisting.

The bandstand and dance floor were to be set up in the corral. It would be a little like a Wyoming Ranch Wedding after all, right here in Georgia.

She'd rented all white tables and chairs, and the caterers were using yellow tablecloths and white napkins.

She'd decided to make the menu all about Daryl and the foods he loved. She doubted she'd be able to eat much, she'd be so excited, and besides, if she was hungry, she'd definitely developed a taste for down home country cooking.

They were having baked ham and fried rabbit, cheddar cheese grits casserole, fried green tomatoes, sweet potato hash, collard greens, summer squash casserole, biscuits, and for the health conscious, she was adding a green salad and cut melon. There were several appetizer options including, shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, jalapeno and cheese hush puppies, and again, for the health conscious, trays of fresh cut veggies.

They'd have a wedding cake, but they were also having apple crisp, berry cobbler and peach pie. Everyone should be going home over-served and happy.

Daryl and Oscar had made a liquor run and Beth swore they had enough hard alcohol, beer and wine to keep everyone in the county buzzed for a month, maybe two. And because it was a wedding, Daryl had also gotten a case of champagne.

They wouldn't be leaving for their honeymoon until three days after the wedding, they didn't want to leave until Beth's family left to return to Wyoming and Michigan.

Daryl had been in charge of planning the honeymoon. Beth told him she'd be perfectly content to return to the little beach house on Tybee Island, but he'd just smiled and shook his head, "Nah, maybe another time, I got sumthin' else in mind for ya." He hadn't volunteered what that may be, and she'd decided she was going to let him surprise her.

xxxx

She and Daryl were both thrilled when her family arrived. They'd been anxious to show off their place, catch up on the news, and just relax with family.

Merle and Carol had insisted on having the entire gang over for an outdoor barbeque, the only problem Beth could see was that she had no idea where everyone would fit at Carol and Merle's place. It was an adorable home, Beth loved it, but it was a small two bedroom, Merle had bought the place when he was a single man, now there was a wife and two children also living there.

When she saw how Merle and Carol had fixed up that back yard she was so happy she hadn't questioned Carol. Everything looked so festive. They had three tables moved together to form a "U" shape, the tables were covered in lime green vinyl cloths, with white chairs around each. There were little bottles that held yellow flowers scattered about the tabletops.

Merle had grilled chicken and there were scalloped potatoes, plus grilled corn on the cob, pea salad, cornbread and lots of fresh fruit. There was sweet ice tea, lemonade, and something these Dixons normally didn't have at their house, beer. Merle knew it wasn't going to bother him to have some beer drinking, tonight was all about throwing a nice party for his brother and soon to be little sister, a woman Merle himself had come to love and respect so much.

Daryl was moved and impressed by the nice party his brother and Carol had given Beth's family. It had been a great time and a terrific opportunity for the two small families to get to know each other. It amazed him that such different people, from such different backgrounds, could find common ground.

xxxx

The night before his wedding he thought about how much his life had changed in just over a years' time. He thought about how big the odds were against him ever even meeting Beth Greene. They lived 2,000 miles apart. He'd taken a motorcycle trip, a trip he'd dreamed of and planned on for years. He'd stopped in a small town high in the mountains of Western Wyoming, he'd almost decided to just pass through and head right up to Jackson, but something had made him stop. He'd walked in a local bar for one cold beer. She didn't even work there, she just happened to be filling in for a friend that day, and he'd been immediately attracted to her, he'd stepped completely out of character, he couldn't even believe it himself. He'd asked her out to dinner, like he had self-confidence, and he'd asked her to come with him on his trip, as though they were old friends. He still didn't know how he'd managed to come up with the nerve. And this woman, she'd changed his life completely, this woman was now the focus of his life. He refused to think of it as one big coincidence, no, that was to discount what they had. He thought of it as their destiny, they were meant to be. This wedding, this celebration party, it would be grand, it would be a big time, but the best thing about it was, he was going to marry her and he couldn't wait, this was how it was supposed to be.

xxxx

She'd opted to stay with her family in the rental house the night before the wedding. Not that she didn't want to be with Daryl, in fact, it was kind of making her crazy being here without him, but it just seemed right, this one last night as single woman Beth Greene, she'd stay with her Mom and Dad. After tomorrow, she'd be married woman, Mrs. Daryl Dixon, and she prayed she'd never have to spend another night away from him.

Many a time she had thanked God that she'd agreed to help out a friend that day and work that shift at the Corral. She could still picture him walking in the place, with his pigeon toed strut and looking incredibly rough and sexy at the same time. He'd taken her breath away. She couldn't believe she'd actually agreed to go to dinner with a man she didn't even know, but far more unimaginable than that, she'd hopped on the back of a motorcycle with him and taken a journey that now almost seemed dreamlike. It had been an amazing time of discovery, adventure, and most of all love. And then she'd let her fears and insecurities take over. She'd nearly let them take her happiness forever. Thank God Mama and Maggie had intervened. Thank God he saw his way to forgiving her, giving her another chance. He never spoke of it any more, it seemed he'd finally gotten to the place where he believed her love for him was real and true.

As much as she was looking forward to a beautiful wedding and a wonderful party, a chance to celebrate with friends and family, what she was really looking forward to more than anything was being his wife, proving to him every day how much she loved him and how devoted she was to him. She couldn't wait to be Beth Dixon.

xxxx

He woke up even earlier than usual on his wedding day, just before 5am. He was happy, excited and nervous. He made coffee, thought he'd take that out on the back porch and just enjoy watching the world wake up and try to relax.

He was just opening the back door when he heard what he knew was Merle's truck. He smiled, walked to the front and opened the door just as Merle was stepping onto the porch, his brother smiled at him shrugged n said, "I could smell the coffee all the way over at my place, ya got a cup for me."

Daryl just smiled and said, "Yep n I only charge a buck a cup, not a price gouger like them chain outfits."

They made their way to the back porch, took a seat and Daryl asked, "What the hell's got you up so early?"

Merle smiled his brightest, "Yer kiddin' me, ain't ya? Have ya forgot about yer niece already? And I mean the one that's real little n real loud, specially when she wants her breakfast. I ain't equipped quite right ta get that for her, so I decided ta come over here n spend the mornin' with my favorite brother on his weddin' day."

Merle had already managed to make his case of the nerves go away. "Well I'm real glad ya did brother. It's been too damn long since we sat on a porch together n watched the moon go down n the sun come up."

The brothers chatted about hunting, fishing, things at the shop, drank their coffee and watched that sky turn from black, to gray to blue. Then Merle got serious, "Ya know I ain't that guy ta share a buncha feelin's n thoughts with ya brother, hell, ya ain't that guy either, but I did come ta tell ya how I feel 'bout a couple things."

That caught Daryl off guard, and he just nodded toward his brother.

"When ya was on yer trip n you was sending me texts about this girl, I's mostly just hopin' you was havin' fun, then ya got real serious 'bout her, then she broke yer heart. I's sad for ya, n I's pissed at her. When she showed up at the shop that day, I wasn't over friendly, mighta even been rude, I's afraid she'd take up with ya again, get ya all in love with her again, then run back home. But I knew ya wanted her there, so I just, for once, kept my big fuckin' mouth shut. I grew ta like her fine, thought she treated ya good, I could see y'all was in love, n I hoped she'd settled here, for yer sake. Then the sumbitch hurt ya so bad, n that's when I seen the real Beth. Not just the sweet, pretty girl. The sweet, pretty, tough as fuckin' nails girl. She was sumthin' else. I come away from that hospital with two big thoughts, one, I needed my Baby Brother ta pull through, and two, you wasn't never gonna find a better woman than her. I'm so happy for ya brother. It didn't come easy, but ya got yer happiness. That makes Ol' Merle happy."

They looked at each other for a minute, each gave the other a little head nod, n Daryl spoke, "Ya always been a good brother ta me Merle, ya always tried ta protect me, even when you was just a kid yerself. And yer still looking out for me, I know. I wouldn't know what ta do without ya."

Merle stood, patted Daryl's shoulder and said, "Ain't no one ever gonna love ya quite the same way yer old brother does, now I got ta go see my girls n get ready ta attend a weddin'. Ya take it easy little brother, we'll see ya after a bit."

Daryl just nodded and said, "Thanks brother."

xxxx

She'd told him she didn't really think he was the tux type, that she wanted him to be comfortable at his wedding. She knew a woman over in Riverton, Wyoming who did leatherwork, she'd had the woman make him a black, calfskin suede, snap front vest, there were new Ariat swagger wash boot cut jeans, a white snap front dress shirt, and a black slim cut tie, and she'd asked him to wear his black motorcycle boots. She was trying to get the perfect mix of biker and cowboy. Merle would be dressed similarly, but no vest. Both men were relieved at how easy they'd gotten off.

Her family, Daryl's family, and the guests, had arrived at the cabin for a little pre-ceremony mingling. Just not her and Maggie, she'd wanted to wait for just the right time. Glenn was texting Maggie all the details of what was going on.

Carol and Jacqui had made sure everything ran smoothly with the caterer's and the bartender, the preacher had arrived, and everything seemed ready. That's when Glenn asked Daryl and Merle if they would step in the house for 10 minutes or so while Beth and Maggie arrived and got themselves in the stables.

Beth and Maggie pulled up as close as they could get to the back of that stables, and practically made a run for it, Beth had on Shawn's cowboy duster so no one would see her dress, and it was way too warm for that. She was happy to get it off the minute she and Maggie got in that stable.

Glenn and Carol managed to direct the guests where they should be, the preacher took his place at the flower covered arched trellis, and Daryl and Merle joined him there. Merle patted his brother on the back and gave him a broad smile, "Just what ya been waitin' for brother."

As much as Daryl wanted this, he wanted it more than he'd ever wanted anything, man his stomach was in knots. He was a nervous wreck, he needed to see her, know that she was there with him, he was tired of waiting, he was ready to get on with this.

The band played a classic, they felt it told their story, "Your Love Amazes Me" by John Berry, and Sophia, in a pretty pale green cotton sundress, came out of the stables, taking slow, steady steps toward her uncle and her papa, she was followed by Maggie looking happy and smiling in a white, yellow and green floral sundress, Molly followed her in a pretty yellow sundress, and finally, it was time for his bride.

He smiled like his life depended on it when he saw her walk out with her Daddy, her holding one of his arms, his crutch under the other. She had on a simple white dress with a tight bodice, it had a drop waist, and laced up the front from just below that waistline to the top of the modest v-cut neckline. It was sleeveless, with a billowy skirt that hit just below the knee and finished with an uneven hem. She wore a delicate white lace choker and she had on light tan cowgirl boots, she carried a simple bouquet of white and yellow daisies. Her hair was hanging in loose curls, and she had a very delicate ring of flowers near the crown of her hair.

Daryl knew his bride was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Neither of them could help themselves, when she reached him they embraced, and the guests whistled and clapped.

They both wanted to keep it short, neither of them cared much for that feeling of being the center of attention, and the importance of the day was making that lifelong commitment to love, to honor to cherish. Neither had any second thoughts or the smallest of doubts. This was what they wanted more than anything, to be together forever.

Both families and the bride and groom were beaming. When the preacher said he could kiss his bride, Daryl did something she never would have expected, he wrapped her in his arms, and kissed her deeply while also dipped her, like they were doing some Latin dance. Now the guests were cheering loudly, and the party was on!

The bartender had poured a glasses of champagne for all the adults to toast the bride and groom. The non-drinkers, including the children, Merle and Carol, and Axel and Lily, enjoyed some sparkling Martinelli's in their champagne flutes.

Then the serious eating, drinking and dancing began. Daryl was not leaving her side, and that suited her perfectly, "Man Beth, ya really know how ta put on a party Baby, this is sumthin' else, n hey, thanks for pickin' out all my favorite foods, ya made me smile at that. I hope we get ta keep the leftovers."

She smiled at her new husband, "I'm going to make sure they save you plenty Mr. Dixon, after all, you're the one signing those big checks."

He couldn't help but laugh at that, "I just do whatever ya tell me to Mrs. Dixon, I've signed on for life."

When the dancing started, he was always filled with a sense of dread, but today, there was nothing he wanted more than to hold her, and if dancing was what he had to do to make that happen, then he'd be dancing.

The party began to wind down in the early evening hours, several of the guests were leaving, and no one noticed Shawn and Glenn hop in Glenn's rental car and take off, they had a wedding gift to go pick up, just a little something the Greenes had brought from Wyoming they thought the newlyweds would enjoy.

By the time they returned 40 minutes later, everyone had left except for family and Jacqui and Angus. Glenn pulled in first, quickly parked and jumped out of the car to stand by Maggie. Maggie had engineered everyone into a semi-circle, and had Daryl and Beth standing with Hershel and Annette. Shawn drove in with that Silverado pulling a beautiful new two-horse trailer, and in that trailer were two beautiful American Quarter Horses.

Beth and Daryl were stunned, Hershel spoke, "Dammit Daryl, you never let me pay for anything, you wouldn't let me pay for my daughter's trip, wouldn't let me pay for her wedding, I have pride too you know son, so here's your non-returnable wedding gift. You can pack these horses, you can ride these horses, hell, I don't care if you just admire the looks of these horses, but the horses and the trailer are yours. I am not hauling them back to Wyoming. Period, end of story."

Beth threw her arms around her Dad, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe this, this is perfect. Where in the world have you been keeping these beauties all week?"

Hershel smiled, "Well we had the name of that stables where you were working, we contacted them and they were more than happy to board the horses."

Daryl went to the man and shook his hand, "Thank you so much Hershel, ya give me so much today, trustin' me to be the man ta love and care for your daughter the rest of her life, n now ya give me the means ta ride off into the sunset with her. I won't ever be able ta thank ya enough." The two men smiled.

 **A/N I hope you enjoyed the pre wedding planning, the special moments between our characters, and the wedding. We'll get to the honeymoon next chapter. Thank you so much for reading, please review xo**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N Thank you all so much, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the wedding. How about a Honeymoon?**

Her family left amid tears and promises of visits soon. He'd had to guarantee her Dad he'd be bringing her to the ranch for a visit over the holiday season, if not before. He was anxious himself, he'd love to see that wide open country covered in snow, and he'd grown very close to her family.

Maggie and Glenn had promised to go when Beth and Daryl did, and Daryl was also pretty sure Beth and Maggie had some other "play dates" in the planning stages.

Hershel and Merle had become fast friends and Merle had a standing invite to visit too. He and Carol, and especially Sophia, were interested in visiting the mountains and seeing firsthand what life was like on a ranch.

Beth was thrilled the families had all bonded, it added to her strong feelings that she and Daryl had been meant to find each other.

xxxx

He'd loaded up the truck with everything he thought they could possible need for their honeymoon week away, of course he'd had a lot of help from Carol and Jacqui. In an effort to keep the destination a secret, Carol had even packed Beth's suitcase with what she'd need, all she had to worry about were personal items, like toiletries.

What he hadn't counted on were the horses, he still couldn't believe her Mom and Dad had given them these beautiful animals, plus an incredible trailer. It was everything he and Beth had wanted, and more, he couldn't be happier to have them. He was sure they'd have a lot of fun with them on their honeymoon. The horse trailer was hitched to his truck, the horses, tack and feed all loaded.

He and Beth were just getting ready to get in the truck themselves when she turned to him, threw her arms around his neck, and with that great big smile of hers said, "Come on Daryl just tell me, I'm dying to know, what's your plan?"

He smiled that sexy little half smile at her, bent down and grabbed the backs of her thighs, hoisting her up, her legs wrapped around his waist, he moved his hands to her bottom, backed her up against the side of that pick up, leaned into her and in that sexy growl of his said, "I'll tell ya what I got planned Mrs. Dixon, what I got planned is one week a me n you all alone, and me bein' a real bad man in a real good way, and you bein' a real good woman in a real bad way."

Her face was bright red and she was giggling, "Oh my gawd Daryl that sounds so hot, let's go."

"That's what I'm thinkin' too Baby," He smiled, carried her right over and sat her on the seat of that pick up truck, leaned his head in, gave her a long, hard, passionate kiss, smiled and said, "I better knock this shit off, I won't be able ta concentrate on my drivin'."

xxxx

It was a long drive but they had a lot of fun along the way, most of the countryside Beth was seeing was all new to her and she was enjoying it. They took it slow and made several stops on their drive, checking out historical markers and all the small road side stands.

They talked about the week leading up to their wedding, all the good times they'd had with family and, of course, the wedding itself. They'd both been so happy with the way it all turned out. They loved having their families and close friends there to help them celebrate the biggest day of their lives. They loved every bit of it, and what they loved most was finally being married, making a lifetime commitment to one another.

The last hour of the trip she had a pretty good idea where they were going to end up, somewhere in the mountains, but she had no idea where. She was thinking they must be camping and that would be fine with her, she loved camping, especially with Daryl.

It turned out to be so much more than that. He pulled up to a large gate, punched a series of numbers into a keypad, and the gate opened. The grounds were beautiful, all native growth but trimmed and nurtured into lovely, perfect landscaping. And she couldn't believe her eyes, there was the most beautiful log home she'd ever seen, and she'd seen plenty of log homes in the mountains of Wyoming.

"Oh my gosh Daryl is this where we're staying?" She was practically shaking with excitement.

"Yep, this is our home away from home for a week. It belongs to Bill Andrews and his wife Celeste, you know 'em, the big building contractor from Atlanta. They offered it to us as a honeymoon getaway, like a weddin' gift, 'cept they also gave us those front row seats to the Alan Jackson concert in Atlanta."

"I did all the cabinet design and carpentry work on this place a few years back, and when Bill asked if I'd be interested in using it, I said hell yeah. If ya can believe this, they call it their 'little' mountain getaway. I hope ya like it Baby."

"I know I'm going to love it Daryl because you're going to be here. Plus, it's like a paradise way up here in the mountains." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him tenderly, "Thank you Daryl."

They let the horses out of the trailer and tied their reigns to the fence. They unloaded the truck and there was plenty to pack into the house. Daryl and Jacqui had packed all the food and beverages they figured two people needed for a week, and he had outdoor gear for hiking, fishing poles and tackle, and their bows for shoot outs.

As far as Daryl was concerned, this week was all about relaxing with and enjoying his wife. For now, nothing else mattered to him.

The place was nothing short of spectacular. The living room, master bedroom and master bath each had one wall that was almost solid windows with a breathtaking view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Just to add to the fun, there was a Jacuzzi on the back deck with a nearly panoramic view.

The house was beautifully furnished with rustic-look home fashions, and had every modern convenience imaginable.

Oh yeah, they were going to have a great time, riding horses through the mountains, doing a little fishing, a little bow shooting and a lot of lovemaking.

xxxx

"This is so beautiful Daryl I can't quite believe we're here. You couldn't have chosen a more perfect place for us to celebrate our new life together." Her smile was so big it was like she was shining.

"'M so glad ya like it. I hadn't been up here in almost six years, I's a little worried the area around here mighta got all built-up, but it ain't changed a bit. Whaddya say we get in that hot tub and see what it's all about." He was smiling that seductive little smile.

"We wouldn't even need our swimsuits here Daryl," She was saying it jokingly, but he took her in a big hug and said, "That's right Baby, so let's just peel off these clothes and jump in." And that's what they did.

They were sitting close to one another and checking out the view, he took her face in his hands and began kissing her deeply, he got real turned on by how responsive she was, and as he moved a hand to caress her breast he was happily surprised when she moved to straddle his lap. He was alternating between kissing her lips, sucking on and kissing her ears and neck, and putting his head underwater and nipping at her breasts. She moved to a kneeling position exposing her breasts above that bubbling waterline. He smiled, "Thanks Baby, I was startin' ta worry I's gonna get all excited n drown myself." She couldn't help but laugh, "You make me so happy Daryl, romantic, sexy and silly all at the same time."

"Thanks Baby, I'm doin' my very best for ya," and while flashing that sassy little grin he moved a finger inside her and she moaned. He was kissing her deeply, then moving his head down to kiss and nibble on her sweet little breasts, "Ya got me all hot n bothered here girl." She leaned her head down and whispered in his ear, "Oh Daryl, all I can think about is how you feel when we make love."

With that he lifted his hips from the little bench seat and slid into her. He put his hands to her hips and moved her firmly onto him, they moved together in an unhurried rocking motion, enjoying the feel of one another in the ambiance of the warm, bubbling water surrounded by the great outdoors. It was ideal. Just minutes later and they came together. "That was perfect Baby, you, me and the great outdoors, that right there, that's our story."

 **A/N The short and sweet honeymoon chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. I would appreciate you checking out my new Bethyl fic, Deep Blue Funk. Thank you for reading, please review xo**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate all of you who have taken the time to read this story. I thank you all.  
**

They'd been home from their honeymoon a month and they were still on a kind of "high" from the great time they'd had.

Daryl

We're definitely settled back into our routine, but it feels different, much different. I've heard people say, "It's only a piece of paper." But that ain't true, that ain't all of it, it feels so much deeper than that. It's a promise we made, ta love, ta honor, ta be there for each other no matter what, always.

Me n Beth, it didn't come easy for us gettin' here, she stumbled, then I stumbled, but now we're firmly rooted. There's no doubt in either of our minds, what we want more than anythin' is to walk through this life together.

I gone so many years livin' a life a routine, but I never did really feel settled, never felt quite like I fit, everythin' was always tinged with that feelin' of loneliness, especially the years Merle was in prison. Now I have Beth, I love her and I know she loves me, we got a great home in a perfect spot, my business just couldn't be goin' better, I finally have that feelin' in my life that it's good, life is good.

My brother Merle, the only family I had for so long, he's finally found him some happiness, some peace. He's got a place he feels like he belongs, a real nice wife and two beautiful little girls. I'm happy for him, and I'm happy for me cuz I got my brother back. Merle may seem like a mean bastard to a lotta folks, but I know Merle, I know I'll always be able ta depend on him, I don't care what he done, Merle's a good man. We don't hardly ever tell each other, but I love Merle n I know he loves me.

So now I'm ready ta just settle into this life, and the good news is my wife Beth, that's just how she feels.

We've thought about maybe makin' the house in the mountains an annual honeymoon trip, we'll see how we feel when it's closer ta the time.

Right now, we're ready ta stay put, get back ta just doin' what we both love ta do, hikin', campin', fishin', huntin', ridin' the bike and ridin' them awesome horses.

We do have a promise ta keep, we need ta visit the ranch, n I already begun makin' those plans for the holiday season. I gave my top accounts the news, I'll be shuttin' down the business for eight days over Christmas. No one seems ta mind the idea, in this line a work that close ta Christmas ain't really the busy season, an I like the idea of my guys n Jacqui gettin' ta spend holiday time with their own families.

Beth

I'd never traveled much until I met Daryl. Gosh, the start of our lives together was on the road. Then there's all the trips we've taken here and there, and the worst of course, the trips to and from Atlanta when Daryl was so badly hurt, so many surgeries, so many follow up visits. We put on a lot of miles, and the pay-off was worth it, I have Daryl back with me whole and healthy.

Now I just feel like I want to be settled into our home. I want us to have time to get back to doing the things we love, the shoot outs, hiking in the woods, the camping and fishing, and of course now we have our horses and we've enjoyed them so much, especially Daryl, he became an accomplished horseman in record time. My husband has such a way with animals

As much fun as we've had in the miles we've traveled, I think we've become homebodies. Home is where we want to be enjoying this life we have together. I don't mind that a bit. I feel like as long as I'm with Daryl my life is always going to be happy and full. If Daryl decided tomorrow he wanted to hit that highway again I'd be right there with him, he's my husband and I love him.

Even though we don't feel much like traveling, I am looking forward to our trip to the ranch, it'll be wonderful to visit my family, for all of us to be together, and I'm so grateful that Daryl wants to go as much as I do, and that he's figuring out all the details, he's always so good with details.

Beth Two Weeks Later

I've been suspecting this ever since about three weeks after we got back from our honeymoon, so today I bought a test. Even though I knew it was true, I still couldn't believe it when I got that plus sign. I can hardly wait to tell Daryl, I think he's going to be surprised and so, so happy.

At least I think he will be. We've talked about having children, but not quite yet. We thought we'd start trying after we'd been married a year. We'd give ourselves a chance to get used to being married before we added anyone else to the family. I feel settled in, I feel ready for this, in fact, I can't wait for this. I hope Daryl will feel the same.

* * *

She'd fixed one of his favorites for dinners and made his favorite dessert.

When he walked in that door he smiled and she went right to him. They hugged, had a sweet kiss, and he asked, "Hey Baby, did you have a good day?"

"Yes I did, it was better than good in fact. How about you Daryl, did you have a nice day?" Something seemed odd right there, like she had more to say, but she wasn't ready to say it. He had to watch his thinkin' though; sometimes he just imagined something was wrong when it wasn't. He wasn't as bad as he used to be about always thinking worst case scenario, but still, he had that tendency.

So he just answered, "Yeah, it was good, picked up a real nice contract for a planned community outside Atlanta. It's gonna be upper income level gated housing, so I get ta design n build nice cabinets, not the cheap stuff. I also got a trophy home outside a Savannah, so that'll be interestin'. What smells so dang good, I mean besides you?" He smiled that little half smile that still made her heart leap.

"That's one of your favorites, and I don't think we've had it since the wedding, fried rabbit and I made you the cheesy grits." And now she smiled that smile at him that always made him want more of her.

"Well I best get washed up, I'm a pretty hungry boy n that sounds real good. Oh, should I open wine?"

"You know, I'm not really in the mood right now, but I may change my mind, if you want a glass you definitely should go ahead." Geez, she hoped she didn't sound like she was babbling, but she wasn't ready to tell him until they sat down.

"Ah, nah I'll just grab a beer, that's probably a better pairing with rabbit and cheesy grits anyway." He smiled at his little joke, and she was happy to see him so happy. She wanted this to be good news to him.

He'd enjoyed the rabbit and now he was starting in on the cobbler, they were chatting about the new jobs and the other things that had gone on during the day. She'd told him about the garden and what she'd been able to harvest, and the horses, every day small talk, then she asked him, "Daryl you're such a talented carpenter, I mean a person just has to take a look around here to see that. And everyone just admires your work so much, every time I'm around your guys or the contractors, they're always saying how great you are, so I'm just wondering, have you ever thought of making some baby furniture?" The forkful of peach cobbler was halfway to his mouth when she asked, he froze and looked in her eyes, then he took a deep breath, set that fork down and went to her.

He knelt down in front of her, arms around her waist, "Are you Beth? Are we gonna have a baby?"

She was smiling even bigger than usual, "Yes Daryl, we are, I'm so excited I couldn't wait until you got home so I could tell you!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and they hugged tightly for just a minute before he pulled back enough to kiss her.

"Wow Beth, wow I can't believe this, this is just the most excitin' news, damn." Then he paused and asked, "But how, I always use…" and they both smiled, and together they said, "The Hot Tub."

xxxx

It had been a life-changing year on so many levels, there was no denying that. First had come the trial, sentencing, and subsequent death of his father, certainly it was hard to mourn the man, but never-the-less, it was a major life moment.

It hadn't been too long after that they'd married, and it had been such a wonderful and happy day for them both, and for their families. Lifelong bonds had been formed, not just for Daryl and Beth, but for their families as well.

The honeymoon had been perfect, more than they could have ever hoped for. And the Honeymoon had also brought about a small and wonderful life altering event.

They'd traveled with Merle, Carol and the girls to Wyoming for eight days over Christmas. The Greene's had rolled out the red carpet, but in a fun and casual way. A highlight for Daryl had been a wild snow machine ride in the snow covered mountains, four men, four machines, Merle, Glenn, Shawn and himself. They'd explored, raced, and generally raised hell. He'd been a little nervous when they rode those machines across that ice covered lake, but damn, that had been nothing but a good time.

Daryl loved to see Merle get relaxed and cut lose that way. Like Daryl, he'd never had a childhood so when they got a chance to act like kids, it was a very big deal.

And of course everyone was excited about the baby on the way. Beth's Mom, Maggie and Amy talked about babies non-stop for a week. Maggie was so excited for Beth and Daryl she'd started to talk to Glenn about them having a little Rhee. Glenn hadn't seemed that interested in the idea, but Daryl figured Maggie was just the women who would help him decide he wanted this.

He'd made all the baby furniture and it was a true labor of love. He was grateful to have the ability to do this for his child, for Beth.

* * *

And now here they were in this hospital delivery room, he and his beautiful wife. He admired how she'd said she was doing this all natural, nothing to ease the pain at all. Hell, he didn't think he'd have the balls to do that.

She'd been in labor for what seemed to him like a helluva long damn time, almost 12 hours. He was tired of seeing her in pain, wanted her to have some relief from it. She kept reassuring him she could do this, and the reward would be the baby they'd soon have. He wouldn't have thought he could love her any more than he did, but when he saw the grace and joy she managed to have while going through this, he knew she was the toughest cowgirl God ever made, and he knew there was no end to the love he was capable of feeling for her.

And then the moment arrived, the doctor told her to push, push, and he arrived, their precious little boy.

They'd chosen a name for him based on what they'd lived together, it had been a true journey, not always smooth, but in the end far more than worth the trip, they named him Miles Dixon.

 _The End_

 **A/N I hope you enjoyed the journey. I appreciate you all so much for your support of this story, and for your encouragement along the way. I hope you'll consider reading my newest Bethyl fic, Deep Blue Funk, as well as my other Daryl and Beth stories. I have one shots and more multi chapter stories to come. Thank you again, I'd appreciate you leaving a review, xo**


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